In the United States, a childhood cancer charity hosted a “Best Bald Dad” contest in celebration of Father’s Day. The goal was to select the dad who looked best with a shaved head—among those who had shaved their heads in solidarity with their children undergoing cancer treatment. The event aimed to support children who had lost their hair due to chemotherapy and to encourage the fathers who chose to share in their children’s pain by shaving their own heads.
Mr. Marshall from Wichita, Kansas, entered the contest by submitting a photo with his son. At first glance, the photo stood out—both he and his son had identical large scars on the right side of their bald heads. It turned out that the scar on the boy’s head was from surgery, while the one on Mr. Marshall’s head was a tattoo. “When my son saw his scar after surgery and said he looked like a monster, it broke my heart,” he said. “So I had the same scar tattooed on my head to give him a sense of pride.”
Every time the boy sees his father’s “scar,” he’s reminded that he’s not alone—and that gives him courage. Their photo received an outpouring of support and was voted the best photo in the contest.