Dad gets tattoo of scar to honor his heart patient daughter: ‘I don’t want her to be alone’

A father has a new tattoo that honors his young daughter.

Everly Backe was born with a rare congenital heart defect. She had her first heart surgery when she was three days old, her mother, Lauren Backe, said.

“She proceeded to have three open-heart surgeries, total, by the time she was 1.”

Now, at nearly 4 1/2 years old, Everly has had several more procedures done at Advocate Children’s Hospital. This has left numerous scars, including one for a chest incision.

“I noticed Evie talking more and more about her scar, just it being noticeable. She’s paying attention to it,” her father, Matt Backe, told WBBM Newsradio.

And so he got his first-ever tattoo. It’s a replica of Everly’s chest scar on his own chest.

“I just don’t want her to be alone,” the father explained. It’s also a reminder of his gratitude for Everly’s progress, he said.

“I’m strong,” Everly said. “I’m stronger than dad and mom.”