How people show their love and support for others comes in all shapes and forms.
Some will visit their new mom friend to make sure they're doing okay and will help with the laundry.
Some will send a sweet "thinking of you" card to a loved one.
But some among us go a step further and change something about themselves. For one new father, who was struggling with his newborn's multiple heart surgeries, he decided to get a special tattoo to commemorate the experience and to support his son.
For most of the internet, this was a beautiful and loving gesture, but there were of course a few bad eggs who wanted to ruin the moment.
New father Joe Jones posted on Twitter about the experience of his son having three major heart surgeries before the age of five months old.
His son has the familiar, chest-long scar on his chest, which is especially heartbreaking to see carried by a newborn.
Jones was worried about his son's future and whether he would struggle with his self-image, because of having such a significant scar. Though it may fade with time, Jones wanted to do something to support his son and show him he is not alone in his journey, to the O.R. and beyond.
Jones shared his decision in a tweet, which quickly went viral and was shared to other platforms, including Reddit.
from HumansBeingBros
Many were supportive of Jones' decision and viewed it as a major, loving gesture.
Some on Reddit noted the possibility of the five-month-old's scar fading by the time he reaches his teen years and twenties. However, these comments were shared still with an air of support, pointing out the depth of the father's tattoo, whether or not his son's scar tissue always "matched" the ink.
"Flash to the future when his son has a tiny barely visible scar. Still cool" - Strummer95
"Yeah, my son had open heart at 4 months. Now he's 21 and you have to look hard to see it. Still cool tho, you're right" - pmmeab**wjob
"Also with the kid being so young, it's almost a guarantee that he wont remember it, and just have a tiny bit of scarring. Still wholesome, but this feels more like a way for the dad to feel more connected than it is to comfort the son." - Put_It_All_On_Blck
"Bruh my son is 2 and this just about destroyed me at work. I remember seeing something similar a few years ago and just thinking "aw man that's nice". Now I'm just like holy f**k I can't handle it" - SomebodyHelpMePles
Others back on Twitter were not so kind to Jones' original post, however.
As a result of the barrage of negative comments, Jones not only deleted his viral tweet, but he also deactivated his account.
Those who had already commented prior to deactivation were still able to tag Jones' profile in follow-up tweets, where they continued to share their support for his decision and hopes for his return to the platform.
Whether or not his son's scar tissue fades with time, this choice Jones made in an effort to support his son's early trials will be a part of their relationship forever.
We hope Jones will decide to return to Twitter when he's ready, if for no other reason than to share sweet pictures of him with his son, flourishing after all these trips to the O.R.
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