The last thing a parent wants is for their child to feel “different.” Of course, being different is never a bad thing, but for children who struggle to fit in, feeling anything less than “normal” can be painfully isolating. Derek Prue Jr. knows firsthand what that feels 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 always made him self-conscious. But recently he got a surprising boost of confidence when his father unexpectedly got a tattoo in the shape of his birthmark to make the boy feel less alone. Standing at the edge of the pool, Derek Sr. called his young son into the water, and when the boy turned to him, he was stunned. There was his father, sporting a replica of the same mole he’d had since birth. 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,” Derek shared. “I didn’t know he was going to do that.” But oh, how grateful he was. Turns out Derek’s dad is pretty perceptive It was never lost on him that his son was self-conscious about his birthmark, especially as he began to age. “I knew he was embarrassed about it,” Derek Sr. shared. “I saw how he reacted, and it made me want to do it so he wasn’t the only one.
“ For one, he needed to find a tattoo artist who could recreate the mark expertly. Eventually, Derek Sr. found tattoo artist Tony Gibbert, owner of the Juicy Quill tattoo studio in Stony Plain, Alberta. Fortunately, So the Prues tried to get their son to pose for a few photos in secret. Derek later told CBC that he was a little suspicious as to why his mother suddenly needed to take pictures of his birthmark, but he eventually agreed and quickly forgot about it. As it turned out, these photos helped Gibbert immensely. As for the pain, Derek Sr. was certainly game To complete the cue, the devoted father had to sit for a total of 30 hours while Gibbert worked his magic. (And if you think it’s difficult to sit that long, try doing it while a tattoo needle is dragged across your chest.) “He went through a lot for this,” Gibbert told CBC. “It’s quite painful.
” Derek Prue Radio-Canada News “I remember the first time I got there, I laid down, and then after maybe three, four hours I was like, ‘Yeah, are we almost done?’ And Tony said, ‘Yeah, we’re almost done with the outline,'” Derek Sr. recalled, adding that he was actually glad he didn’t know how long it would all take to be completed. (Yeah !) That said, the loving father didn’t sit through the entire 30-hour procedure in one fell swoop. (Whew.) Instead, the entire work was broken up into 3-4 hour sessions. In the meantime, he had to keep his chest covered and keep it a secret. He also told the news outlet that he was honored to be a part of such a sweet story. “I think it’s amazing that you can comfort your son like that,” he said. “It’s more than just your child seeing your name, or something like that, you can actually change the way they feel.
“Just being able to go swimming with your dad and take his shirt off and be happy and comfortable. I’m happy to be able to be a part of that. In a small way I can help him with this what he’s trying to do.” In the end, it was worth it The boy’s mother, Shanel Prue, told the outlet that her son has definitely gained confidence since his dad first revealed the tattoo last month. In fact, when she asked him if he would now take off his shirt before jumping in the pool, he seemed brave enough to try for the first time in a while. “Whenever Dad is here, I can take the shirt off,” the boy told him. “Now we have the same grades for life,” added Derek Sr. Derek Prue Sr. and Jr.
