The last thing any parent wants is for their kid to feel "different." Of course, being different is never a bad thing, but for kids who may struggle to fit in, feeling anything less than "normal" can be painfully isolating. Derek Prue Jr. knows firsthand what this is like. The 8-year-old, who lives with his family in Alberta, Canada, was born with a large birthmark covering part of his chest, which has always made him self-conscious. But recently, he got a surprising boost of confidence when his dad unexpectedly got a matching tattoo in the shape of his birthmark so the boy would feel less alone.
Derek Jr. says it was a total surprise
In fact, when he later relayed the story to CBC News, he said his dad went and got the tattoo done secretly, and unveiled it to him one day as he was playing with his sisters in a hotel swimming pool.
Standing by the edge of the pool, Derek Sr. called to his young son in the water, and when the boy turned to face him, he was stunned.
There was his dad, sporting a replica of the very same beauty mark he'd carried since birth.
To say the boy was speechless would be an understatement
He told the outlet that he fell back into the pool, with a huge smile on his face.
"I was happy and I was a little confused," shared Derek. "I didn't know he was going to do that."
But oh, how grateful he was.
It turns out, Derek's dad is pretty perceptive
It was never lost on him that his son was self-conscious about his birthmark, particularly as he began to grow older.
"I knew he was self-conscious about it," Derek Sr. shared. "I saw how he was reacting, and it made me want to do it so that he wouldn't be the only one."
When Derek Jr. started insisting on wearing a T-shirt in the pool, his dad started secretly brainstorming ways to help his son feel more confident without his shirt on.
Soon, the tattoo idea began to take shape
Derek Sr. knew right away that it would boost his son's confidence, but pulling it off wouldn't be easy.
For one thing, he had to find a tattoo artist who could expertly re-create the mark. Eventually, Derek Sr. found tattoo artist Tony Gibbert, who owns the Juicy Quill tattoo studio in Stony Plain, Alberta. Luckily, Gibbert quickly agreed.
But first, Gibbert needed to re-create the pattern
So, the Prues tried to get their son to pose for a few photos on the sly. Derek later told CBC that he was a little suspicious of why his mom suddenly needed to take some photos of his birthmark, but he ultimately agreed and quickly forgot about it.
As it turned out, those photos helped Gibbert immensely.
As for the pain, Derek Sr. was certainly in for it
To complete the replica, the devoted dad had to sit for a total of 30 hours while Gibbert worked his magic. (And if you thought sitting still for that long was tough, try doing it while a tattoo needle is being dragged across your chest.)
"He's been through the wringer sitting for that," Gibbert told CBC. "It's pretty painful."
"I remember the first time coming in, laying down, and then after maybe three, four hours, I was like, 'Yeah, are we almost done?' And Tony's like, 'Yeah, we're almost done with the outline,'" Derek Sr. recalled, adding that he's actually happy he didn't know how long the whole thing would take to complete.
(Yikes!)
That said, the loving dad didn't sit for the entire 30-hour procedure all in one shot. (Phew.) Instead, the entire job was broken up into 3-4 hour sessions. In the meantime, he had to keep his chest covered so maintain the secret.
Gibbert says he was touched by the dad's devotion
He also told the outlet that he was honored to be a part of such a sweet story.
"I think it's amazing to be able to comfort your son like that," he said. "It's more than just your kid seeing your name, or something, you get to actually, like, really change the way he feels about himself.
"Just being able to go swimming with his dad and take off his shirt and be happy and comfortable. I'm happy I get to be part of it. In a small way I get to help with what he's trying to do."
In the end, it was all worth it
The boy's mother, Shanel Prue, told the outlet that her son has certainly gained confidence since his dad first revealed the tattoo last month. In fact, when she asked him if he'd now be OK with taking his shirt off before jumping into the pool, he seemed brave enough to try for the first time in a long time.
"Whenever Daddy's there, I can take the shirt off," the boy told her.
"Now we have the same marks for life," added Derek Sr.
