Proud of his brave grandson, a grandfather has honored the little boy’s open heart surgery by tattooing the surgical scar on his arm. The tattoo and the precious bond they share have gone viral.
Rebekah Van Scoy and her husband, Taylor, have three kids together: Sawyer, 5, Adalyn, 3, and Hudson, 1. Sawyer was born with a congenital heart defect Tetralogy of Fallot. His parents didn’t find out about it until the day after Sawyer’s birth when doctors told them their baby had a heart murmur and rushed him to the NICU where he was monitored for a few days.
“He had his first procedure at five weeks old, a valvoplasty that opened his arteries to get more oxygen,” Rebekah told The Epoch Times.
That procedure bought Sawyer eight months before he had to go in for open heart surgery in December 2017 to repair a hole in his heart. Their family leaned on faith for strength, but Sawyer was strong.
“He was in the hospital for about a week after surgery,” Rebekah said. “He recovered fast, and doctors were very impressed!”
After the surgery, Rebekah was shocked to learn that her father wanted to get an exact replica tattoo of Sawyer’s surgery scar to commemorate the little boy’s brave journey.
“Ironically, my dad was always very against tattoos,” Rebekah said. “But he had thought about it for a long time and he was very proud of his grandson for what he had gone through, loved the idea of supporting him, and having a conversation starter for anyone who sees his tattoo.”
“He loves to share the miracle that his grandson is, and telling people how God has worked in our lives.”
The tattoo shop also made an exception and let toddler Sawyer inside to watch his grandpa go under the needle. His family has since talked about the tattoo to help Sawyer understand its significance.
Rebekah said, “Although he still doesn’t fully grasp it, you can tell that my son feels genuine love and support from my dad’s tattoo, and it’s adorable when he lifts up his shirt and they compare his actual scar with the tattoo of his scar!”
The mom of three describes her father as “the most involved and active grandparent” that she has ever known.
The doting grandad goes out of his way to drive by his grandkids’ house, just for a hug, shares love and laughter at every opportunity, and hosts the kids for overnight “camping” at his house.
“My dad is always creating fun moments out of simple life; he teaches them and encourages them,” Rebekah said.
Rebekah has long shared clips of her father and her kids’ special moments on Instagram and has gained a following from people who love their bond.
However, Sawyer isn’t the only child in the family to have needed heart surgery; baby Hudson also had to undergo the same procedure.
She told The Epoch Times: “Getting a diagnosis of any kind is terrifying, and if you’re like me, it’s easy to wander to worst-case scenarios. But I have watched God perform several miracles within my family alone, and with so many others ... they have a long health road ahead of them, but we believe God is always with us and taking care of us, even when His plan is not the same as ours.
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