The Story Behind a Dad's Tattoo For His Kids and Late Wife Will Rip You Apart

Michael Traupman's tattoo for his children, 3-year-old Brynnley and 1-year-old Cooper, was supposed to match the one his wife, Sadie, was going to get with him. Unfortunately, in March 2017 at the age of 35, Sadie passed away unexpectedly, and Michael's tribute tattoo ended up incorporating so much more than his kids' names.

In a post to the Life of Dad Facebook page right before Mother's Day, Michael shared a photo of his new tattoo, a cross featuring his kids' names and a stethoscope for Sadie, who was a registered nurse. "Happy Mother's Day to my late wife," he wrote. "She passed away unexpectedly in March, leaving me and our two young children. She was a pediatric intensive care nurse who loved taking care of little kids. Yesterday, I got this tattoo as a tribute to my kids and my late wife who will forever be looking down over them. I think it came out perfect."

The now-single dad has received a huge outpouring of love from the Facebook community, especially from other single dads who lost their spouses.

"Thank you everyone for your kind words and support," Michael wrote in the comments. "She was only 35 and my daughter just turned 3 in April and my son will be 2 in August. I have a phenomenal family and support system here at home and it's awesome to see that I have one here too."