The heartbreaking reason why this man got a lawnmower tattoo on his head

A grieving man decided to get a tattoo of a lawnmower on his head in memory of his late brother who died of cancer.

Mark Flewitt 50, was left devastated when his older brother Steven died on February 10 at the age of 65, just days after contracting Covid-19.

Steven had been diagnosed with lung cancer in November 2020, and lost all his hair due to chemotherapy.

But just last summer, Mark said he and his brother had a joke at a family barbeque about how long their hair had grown during the first lockdown - and how they may soon need a lawnmower to cut it.

So now Mark, a construction worker from Ipswich, Suffolk, has had a permanent tribute to Steven inked onto his head, in memory of their little joke.

The small tattoo, on the crown of his head, depicts a cartoon man pushing a lawnmower - in the direction of Mark's hairline.

‘It's just a light-hearted way for me to remember my brother’

Mark said: "I saw a similar tattoo online about a year ago, and thought it was quite a funny design.

"But then after losing my brother, I remembered the lawnmower joke we had made - and I knew he would have found this tattoo quite humorous.

"It's just a light-hearted way for me to remember my brother.

"But it's also a light-hearted look at the heartache that people go through when they lose their hair due to cancer treatment - without wanting to dismiss the pain that can cause."

Mark added that his brother had only retired about a year before receiving his cancer diagnosis.

He said: "He'd been retired for about 12 months, and he and his wife were so looking forward to enjoying that retirement together.

"It's so cruel that that was all taken away from them."

Mark’s fundraising efforts

Mark has also created a fundraising page in memory of his brother, to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support - which has so far raised £650.

He said: "Macmillan was so supportive for my brother and his wife, and for our family.

"It means a lot to know that through my fundraising, other people will be supported like we were through such a difficult time."

‘I am expecting that I will get a few funny looks’

Mark had the tattoo done on April 29, at Lucky 13 Tattoo Studio in Ipswich.

He said: "I'm really pleased with how the tattoo turned out.

"It was a bit painful and a bit tingly, because of where it was done. It's my first head tattoo, and it will certainly be my last.

"I am expecting that I will get a few funny looks when people spot it - but hopefully that'll be worth a couple of pounds towards the fundraising page."

You can donate to Mark's JustGiving page here.

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who’s who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going.