Joey Powling JrWhen it comes to memes, some of them are hysterical, while others leave me wondering if I'm the only one who doesn't get them. The latest one to take the Internet by storm, however, is hands-down the best and most moving one I've seen yet. It's titled Ridiculously Good-Looking Surgery Baby, and it's as powerful as it is cute.

The baby in the picture is Joey Powling Jr. According to an article his grand-uncle, Dan Phelps, wrote for the Lowell Sun, he was born in July with a condition called tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), which includes a hole in his heart. His mom, Sarah Powling, fortunately learned of her son's condition while she was pregnant, and plans were made for him to have open heart surgery when he was three months old in October.

Much to everyone's relief, the surgery went well. Sarah took the picture the first time they revealed his whole scar -- about five days post-surgery -- and captured that awesome little smirk that seems to say so much about his bravery and readiness to take on the world no matter what. 

His uncle, Matt Tassone, realized its awesomeness and put it on Reddit with a caption that read, "My 3month-old nephew just had openheart surgery. Chicks dig scars, right?"

People certainly dig little Joey, as he is undeniably ridiculously good looking; and the comments started coming in fast and furious. Soon the meme was born. People have deemed him everything from "a Bruce Willis baby" to "The Successor to The Most Interesting Man Alive." And more than 1 million people have viewed the meme to date.

The brave little guy deserves every bit of the accolades and attention, and what a great spot of lightness and relief for his family who has certainly had their share of anxiety since they found out about his condition and still have a long road ahead. Sarah told the paper:

It's a little strange but really cool. When he was in the hospital, I'd get on Facebook to see what people were saying. It helped get me and Joe through it all.
She said they're using the unexpected spotlight to raise awareness about TOF and to let people know that babies who aren't diagnosed with the condition before they're born can often have a less optimistic outcome. As babies with the condition often turn blue, they've made TOF awareness bracelets that say "Don't turn blue, get a clue."
 
If ever there was a good reason for a meme this is it.
 
What do you think of "Ridiculously Good-Looking Surgery Baby"?
 
 
Image via Dan Phelps, Lowell Sun