Jack & Betty
My wife and I, as well as our youngest daughter Mary, two grand daughters, Jennifer and Sarah decided to get these tattoo's as a permanent show of our support for our second daughter, Susan who was diagnosed with breast cancer on November 10th 2009. At the same time, our oldest daughter Kathy was awaiting the results of a lumpectomy she had of a growth on her breast. (NEGATIVE ) In the mean time, Mary herself had a needle biopsy for a breast growth (ALSO NEGATIVE)
Susan spent the winter going through chemo and was surrounded by all of the family and her many friends. She had a double mastectomy in April 2010 and just had the last of her reconstruction surgeries.
Susan maintained her family and friends with her sense of humor, in face of the terrible consequences of chemo with her almost daily updates on Caring Bridge.
Ironically almost every female in our family and their friends have participated in the Susan B. Komen 60 mile walk in Philadelphia for the past 4 years. No one in our family ever had any kind of cancer but they walked for those of their friends who had it or who's family members had it. Then in November of 2009 it struck our family! It can happen to anyone, at any time !
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Jennifer
I decided to get this tattoo after I hit 5 years in remission from stage IIB Cervical Cancer. I am 100% Irish so it plays a big part in my life. That is why I decided on the claddagh. The Claddagh's distinctive design features two hands (one male, one female) clasping a heart, and usually surmounted by a crown. The elements of this symbol are often said to correspond to the qualities of love (the heart), friendship (the hands), and loyalty (the crown).the claddagh ring basically stands for Let Love and Friendhsip Reign Forever so I decided to incorporate that in with my ribbon. Most rings the hands are holding a heart....mine i made into a heart ribbon =)
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Susan
I got this tattoo shortly after I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was in both breasts and my lymph nodes. I knew I had a fight as I set out to beat the Cancer Bitch. I never thought I would get a tattoo on my wrist, but this sure seemed like the best time. There were so many times that I looked at my wrist as I laid in bed sick or as the chemo dripped into my body and I remembered the fighting spirit I had inside of me. When I forgot, my family and friends reminded me! The Cancer Bitch is just an unruly Bitch who can be defeated! Some days she makes us feel down, but we get up and fight back! She can alter our lives, but we can show her who is boss! There are too many of us fighting back against her now. SHE IS GOING DOWN!!!
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Sam Dunham
When I was 4 I had T-cell ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia). I had a low survival rate and was treated with a experimental program, I am now 19 and living strong. I decided on this because when i finally finished all my treatments after it went into remission I thought of it as getting a second chance or a rebirth and the Phoenix is the symbol of rebirth and thats what the symbols mean also.
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Heather
This is a picture of my "Serenity" tattoo. It took my years to decide on it. My father had pancreatic cancer, and my grandfather's cancer metastisized which took his life. They both lived by the Serenity Prayer, so this tattoo is in honor of them.
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Anonymous
1 year into remission I decided to get my "faith" tattoo. It represents the faith I had in God, in my doctors, in my family and in myself to fight stage 3 colorectal cancer at age 39. My 20 year-old son decided to get a matching tattoo in my honor.
Thanks for letting me share!
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Lisa Connell
Back in August 2006 at the age of 26 I was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. Since then I have battled with my illness and also used my illness to help others by launching the first ever online auction dating site in aid of brain cancer awareness called www.rentadateforcharity.com
Im not so sure I have any beliefs not religious anyway but I have always believed that I have a guardian angel around me which is what inspired me to get my next tattoo. I wanted something different that was purely for my own benefit so I decided to go for the word Angel with some wings to represent my own personal guardian angel.
I believe life has a purpose whichever way we look at it. I believe I was meant to have this tumour because of all the good Im not putting back into the world. If I can help change one life then I will be a happy bunny and if I can help two along the way then it's all been worth it : ) Please check out http://www.facebook.com/officiallylisaconnell
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Pamela
I am a 5-year (and climbing) survivor of Inflammatory Breast Cancer.
When I was diagnosed in 2004, the odds of surviving this highly virulent and metastatic disease were slim. 30% of those diagnosed
with IBC were told they would live 5 years without a recurrence.
After 9 months of grueling chemotherapy, surgery and radiation, I was told that I had 'no evidence of disease'. Three-quarters of a year of treatment traded to be given back my lifetime. My son was an emerging tattoo artist, and together we set a goal. If I was still cancer-free and growing stronger and healthier year over year at the 5- year mark, he would design a tattoo that would always remind both of us how I soared beyond the difficult and depressing prognosis I had been given. My Survivor pink ribbon with angels wings is testament to the strength of overcoming the cancer which statistically wanted to win. Not this time.
I have one other tattoo that my son also designed, which is best seen as the logo of Halos of Hope (www.halosofhope.org), a charitable foundation that I began in 2007 to comfort those who have lost their
hair because of chemotherapy or radiation treatments due to cancer.
The tattoo/logo shows the outline of an angel gently resting her arms and chin to comfort a bald head. Our foundation believes that "Cancer is a journey of courage. Let us embrace you along the way." Both tattoos remind me daily that by the grace of God, I continue to soar as a cancer survivor, and that I will continue to give back to the cancer community to help those who need comfort during a difficult time. My son is far more than an emerging tattoo artist now, and last year raised over $200 for Halos of Hope through a pink ribbon
campaign: ww.triblocal.com
For more information about Inflammatory Breast Cancer, visit www.ibcresearch.org
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Regina
I got the tattoo when my Dr. said "I was 10 years out and he considered me cured". My sister also a survivor has a tattoo too. My daughter got one in honor of me the same day.
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Sue
Hi, first off, I want to say I love that this site has been created. I've been trying to get something like this up for ages. I started a "grieving to healing" website on facebook (HERE) and it took off quite well, so I started a blog at suemorton.wordpress.com about the same thing but wasn't quite sure where to go from there.....anyway, about my tattoo....
I got my tattoo in August 2007 after my mum passed away. I lost my mum on June 10, 2007. She had breast cancer 17 years ago, when I was 15 years old and had a mastectomy. She went through chemo and went into remission. My family moved to Scotland in October 1998 (with me staying here in Canada) and discovered in November 1999 she had leukemia. She was in hospital for 6 months but finally went into remission. In November 2006 she found out she had myelodysplasia (pre-leukemia) and that any "cold. she gets she has to treat aggresively because she basically had no immune system. She was going to the hopsital once a month to get 3 pints of blood transfused into her. I went to Scotland May 26th for a week to visit them and she had a bit of a cough. She went to the doctors on Monday the 28th and they gave her antibiotics, saying if the fever she had got any worse, to go to the hospital. She went to the hospital on May 30th and was told she.d be in for a couple of days to get iv antibiotics. I flew back home on the Sunday, with her still being in the hospital. I got a call on the Wednesday that she.d taken a turn for the worse and there was nothing more they could do except keep her comfortable. My sister told her that I was flying back out. The doctors told my family on the Thursday morning it was only a matter of hours as she.d slipped into a coma. I flew out on the Friday night (it was the quickest flight I could get) and I got there Saturday afternoon. She passed away Sunday June 10th @ 1:47am with me there holding her hand. the doctors believe the only reason she fought was cause she knew I was coming and I would want to say goodbye.
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Frieda Weeks
My tattoo represents the color of ovarian cancer awareness - the cancer ribbon is the body of a butterfly. My daughter, Heather, worked for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and was passionate about creating awareness. She was diagnosed with colon cancer and continued working through her treatment. She passed away on November 14, 2008. We carry on her mission through the Hope for Heather foundation (www.hopeforheather.org) She kept an amazing blog. There is a link to her memorial site on the foundation web page where you can read her blog. It's not for the faint-hearted. Heather was also a professional dancer, and toured internationally. I am currently in the process of getting a ballerina tattoo.
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Susan
Since the crab is the sign of cancer, my son felt that this image was appropriate. It is a reminder to him that he beat it and that he will continue to survive. By the way, we received the results of his most recent PET scan the week before Christmas and he is, once again, cancer free!
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Meaghan
I got this tattoo on the TV show Miami Ink about 2 months after finishing treatments. There are two scars in the middle of the tattoo from my nephrostomy tubes. As many know the Lotus Flower blooms out of the muck and ugliness into a beautiful flower. I feel my cancer was ugly yet it gave birth to the beautiful life I am now living.
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Mel
I have always had a wicked sense of humor. I get that from my dad. On Sept 18, 2007, when I was told, "It's cancer," I didn't know how my sense of humor and my favorite game, hockey, would get me through perhaps the greatest challenge of my life.
Read more The Ultimate Face Off
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Chopper Guy
One of my Tattoos is in honor of my 10 year old Stepson, Blake Wayland. Blake drew the Punisher skull on just about everything he owned. It's on the inside of my wrist. Although he never saw the movie, he, like I, had a thing for skulls. Blake passed away on March 1, 2005 and his mother and I are training with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training for the Nashville Country Music 1/2 Marathon in April!
Please visit my Team in Training site at: www.chopperTNT.com
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Brian
I am a 10+ year Testicular cancer survivour.
I got this tatt to celebrate MY cancer date.
Loved Lance's 10//02 idea so added my own date to mine. Purposely put it on my forearm so that people WOULD ask me about it.
Check out my webpage to see what else I have done to spread the cancer word.
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Rachel
My son is a tattoo artist. a HOPE tattoo - it's story, it's progression...
The idea came from a young girl, Rachel Reed - for her 20th birthday in 08. She was a Breast Cancer activist: races for the Cure (Komen) & Relay for Life - for years! She inspired an entire community to get off their hind ends & DO SOMETHING to make a difference.
She designed the tattoo - David created it on her... Summer - 1 year later - Rachel died in tropical storm IKE.... 21 years old... This year I will get this tattoo in her honor... and our Breast Cancer 3Day team - Warriors in Pink will dedicate our 3rd year on her honor: Rachel's HOPE...
Read more about the HOPE tattoo here
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Jamie
Three Christmases ago I learned I had breast cancer for the second time, and for the second time my life was spared because of early detection. Even though I lost both breasts and endured 18 months of hell, I emerged healthier in body and spirit, and now I gladly devote myself to supporting people whose lives have been touched my breast cancer. I love to hear from women all over the country who are facing or recovering from some stage of treatment. I am particularly interested in reconstructive surgery since I had the latest and best DIEP flap procedure and have a flat tummy to show for it.
SO I decided to thumb my nose at breast cancer and get a tattoo. Cool! So
cool that my son plugs his ears and yells, "LALALALALALA" until I shut up about my tattoo. My husband just rolls his eyes.
I am a DIEP sister and will sign off with my motto
I am alive, and I have cleavage!
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