Kansas dad gets a tattoo to match his son's brain cancer surgery scar

A 28-year-old father in the US has shaved his head and got a tattoo to match his son's brain surgery scar.

Josh Marshall, who's from Kansas, entered an annual competition run by a childhood cancer charity and won their #BestBaldDad title at the weekend.

In his submission he wrote: "Me and my son at this year's St. Baldrick's event in Wichita, Kansas. Got my son's scar tattooed to help his self confidence."

The competition is open to family and friends of a child who has cancer.

Josh Marshall's entry was voted for more than 5,000 times with the winner announced on Sunday - Father's Day.

His son, eight-year-old Gabriel, was diagnosed with a rare malignant brain tumour called anaplastic astrocytoma last March.

"My son was very self-conscious after he got his surgery. He felt like a monster," Josh Marshall told ABC News.

Josh says a small part of Gabriel's tumour is still there but says it hasn't grown.

He has scans once every three months and his next MRI is scheduled for next week.

Josh actually got his head tattoo last August

Writing on his Facebook page, Josh said: "I would like to thank everyone for helping make this happen, it's an honour to be titled 2016's ‪#‎BestBaldDad‬.

"But the truth is I'm no better then any of the other contestants, we are all great fathers that would go to any extent to help our children so in my eyes we're all winners.

"Hope you all have a great week and a happy father's day to all you men making a difference in your children's lives."

Gabriel shows off his new hair growth at Smallville Comic-Con earlier this month

Two other fathers who shaved their heads came second and third in the charity competition.

Richard Jankovsky, and daughter Kaity, finished in the runner-up spot.

In her submission, she said: "About three weeks after I got told I had leukaemia, my hair started to fall out.

"When my mom and I went to get some snow cones, we came back to a bald dad.

"He shaved his head before I had to shave mine so I wouldn't feel left out when I did."

Bryan and his daughter Zoe, from Baltimore, came third.

Their submission read: "I know we are biased, but Zoe and I think that this guy right here (Bryan Stauch) is the #BestBaldDad ever."