The story behind this hand print tattoo will leave you with a lump in your throat
A dad in Australia has revealed the heartbreaking story attached to a tattoo in a touching message for Father's Day there, which is celebrated on the first Sunday of September.
Brad Kearns, who runs a Facebook parenting blog, DadMum, posted the image of the tattoo on his chest of two small hand prints of his firstborn child, Buddy, who was stillborn.
He said: "The tattoos are an exact copy of our little boys hands right down to the actual fingerprints. I got them done after his funeral before returning back to work.
"I knew I wanted something to remember him by and I thought either side of my neck would be a cool place to put them. It would symbolise a cuddle, I thought."
The 27-year-old dad started off his post by asking readers if they remembered the first time they touched their own child’s hands.
He wrote: "You rubbed your thumb across the top of their fingers as they hold onto yours. You grab their entire hand and hold it in your fist. You give it a little squeeze to let them know that you’re there; and you sit in awe of their vulnerability.
"And at that moment you make your silent promise. A promise to protect them. To care for them. To give them your all. A promise to be the best parent you can be."
As he lay on the floor of the bedroom of his two other sons, who were both born after Buddy, Brad continued: "I begin thinking of these handprints around my neck. These tiny little hands that are positioned like an eternal cuddle. These are the hands of our first son. His name was “Buddy”.
"It wasn’t always going to be his name, but it seemed right at the time.
"When we met him for the first time and he was peacefully sleeping. It just seemed so right. He was my little Buddy. The hand prints serve as my daily reminder.’
To Brad, it didn't matter that they couldn't take little Buddy home with them, he was still a Dad from that day.
He wrote: "The fact I would never teach him to kick a ball didn't matter. We held his hands and we called him our own. He was the first little boy I ever made that promise to.
This was reinforced on the next Father's Day when he got some lovely messages.
He wrote: "I didn't expect anything. I got a card. I received a few lovely text messages. I was still a dad.
"It meant the world to me. It made my promise real."
Brad hopes the story could urge others to make an effort for their dads on Father's Day, and added: "It will mean the world to them."
"If you know a dad, a stepdad, a foster dad, or a family with two dads... Make an effort this Father's Day. Let them know their promise was real. It will mean the world to them too.
"Happy Fathers Day Dads!"
Talking to Metro.co.uk, Brad said he positioned the tattoos so that people could see them and talk about them, as he thinks it is important that people talk about the loss of a child.
He said: "I see them every day. What I wear lets a lot of people see them so people always comment on them. They always say “Oh I’m so sorry” when I tell them they are the son we lost.
"I make sure to always remind them that it’s okay to talk about it. I wouldn’t have put them there if I didn’t want them to be acknowledged. People learn a lot about you when they ask and I don’t mind sharing the story."
Brad will be releasing the full story behind his tattoos next month for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Month.
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