You might need a tissue for this (I did).
Carter Gentle has endured five surgeries for his congenital heart defect. After the last surgery and after the bandages had been taken off, the seven year old boy looked into the mirror and cried. His father, Mark Gentle (a country music singer), wanted to help his son, so he asked his facebook fans for help. He asked, "how many likes can we get for Carter's bravery?" The response was wonderful.
From SFGate:
His full post read:
#CHDAWARENESS We were a little apprehensive to post this but I feel it’s important. Carter took his bandages off this morning. He cried for 45 minutes when he saw his scars. He said that he’s afraid people will think he is ugly. This was hard to hear as a parent. We told him that his scars are beautiful and make him look like a superhero. How many likes can Carter get for his bravery?! Feel free to share. #CartersSong #HeartHeroes #CHD
The response was more than the father ever imagined and the image of Carter showing off his scar-covered chest now has over 1 million likes. Hundreds of thousands of people beyond his Facebook fans responded and both Buzz Feed and Today Parents picked up the story.
Mark says the Facebook attention has been a huge help. ”He would look at me with these big eyes each time and say, ‘Dad, is that for me again?’ It’s been a huge confidence booster and it has been therapeutic for Carter,” he told Today.
There are more details and more photos here.