Dad cradles sick baby son in shower in emotional family snapshot caught by wife

Heather Whitten was overwhelmed with love when her husband comforted their sick son, so she captured it on camera

Heather Whitten/Facebook

Fox, being held by Thomas, would be hospitalised with food poisoning after the photograph was taken

This incredibly powerful image of a dad holding his sick son in the shower has gone viral - as a true representation of a parent's love.

Heather Whitten has shared the picture of her husband Thomas embracing this little boy Fox taken some years ago.

And despite it being

removed by Facebook more than once for apparently violating its photograph rules, it's still been gleaned a massive response from parents and others across the world.

Heather and Thomas live with their children - twins Fox and Persephone, Lillian, and Leena - in Southern Arizona.

Whitten, herself a photographer , recalls on her Facebook page that she took the photograph in November 2014 after little Fox, then aged almost one, had an attack of vomiting and diarrhoea.

Read more: Photographer captures parents' last moments with their children

She explains that he would later be taken to hospital with salmonella poisoning .

But before that, in an effort to soothe him, her husband Thomas took Fox in his arms.

"Thomas had spent hours in the shower with him, trying to keep his fever down and letting the vomit and diarrhoea rinse off of them both as it came.

"It was a powerful moment for us as parents.

"As I sat in the shower with the two of them I was just overwhelmed with the scene in front of me. This man. This husband and partner and father.

"He was so patient and so loving and so strong with our tiny son in his lap. His whispers of reassurance to Fox, that he would be OK and that Thomas would take care of him were so steady and so honest."

Heather said in that moment, seeing how Fox needed Thomas, she stepped out to pick up her camera.

The response has been overwhelming, with more than 31,000 shares - and more than 129,000 reaction - on Facebook.

"This is what parents do for their babies! This is beautiful the amount of love that is given to little ones and the sacrifices mothers and fathers make," said one mum.

Another added: "I personally got tears in my eyes when I saw the love for your son from his father .and I think it's a beautiful picture."

Although Heather explained that "some people missed the story or didn't even look past the nudity", she believes it is an image with power, and many agree.