Dad's powerful 'promise' protected his daughter all her life — so she got it tattooed as a tribute

Billy Perry, a father who goes by @billyvsco on Instagram, had his daughter ask him to write down something he had always told her since childhood: "You need me; you call me." Without question, he scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to her, completely unaware that he was setting up for his own surprise. With paper in hand, Perry's daughter approached a tattoo artist and had her father's comforting words embossed on her, possibly to feel his presence during moments of uncertainty and self-doubt. The beautiful video has garnered over 3 million views since its release on January 22, 2025.

Perry's daughter looked emotional as she spoke about how her dad always made sure that she knew he had her back if anything ever went wrong. So, the other day, she decided to tattoo his loving words on her and surprise Perry, her dad, who now calls it one of his "coolest dad moments ever." Perry was relaxing on the couch when his daughter showed him the tattoo. "That's why you had me write it down? That's real?" he asked, as emotions took over, and in that moment, he perhaps felt how much his daughter loved him. Upon his daughter's nod, Perry immediately stood up and pulled her in for a bone-crushing hug. 

Tattoos, especially those with a personal story, have become a way of expressing our true feelings. While some get their partners' or kids' names tattooed, others honor their loved ones who have passed away with heartfelt memorial tattoos. In fact, in 2014, Kaityln Burden, a psychology student, surveyed 306 people with tattoos in a university and found that 18.3% of them had a memorial tattoo. She also realized that perceptions about them were more positive than those with non-memorial tattoos. 

Meanwhile, when Perry, the father, shared the wholesome moment on Instagram, the video received an overwhelming response from the netizens. For example, a user who goes by @mojo on the platform wrote, "That's such a good idea. My dad has had to help me out a lot lately; I'll have to ask him to do this too." Similarly, @zohen wrote, "I’m crying both at the tattoo and his reaction. You all are actually the sweetest to each other!" @matt3t4 said, "As a girl dad, I have to say, you filled his heart with so much love right there that he’ll never, ever find the words to explain how much that means to him."

Echoing the sentiments, @nickygirl_thatgirl shared, "My dad was my best friend. He died in 2019, and I was 28. I talk about him every single day. I talk about him to my kiddo, the mailman, and the people at the grocery store. He was the greatest. We talked every single day on the phone. I miss him so much. Seeing this video, I felt their love. Enjoy every day with your dad & always call him." @nicky, who had a similar relationship with their dad, wrote, "My dad always said the same thing. I didn't think he would stick to his word because sometimes he gets annoyed by stuff I do. There was one time that I couldn't do it by myself; my car broke down on the side of the road, and I had to call him. He said, 'Stay safe. I'll be there in 5 minutes.' That's when I had the confirmation that he really meant it."  

You can follow Billy Perry (@billyvsco) on Instagram for more parenting content.