Celebrating Our Survivors: In Their Own Words

At Ink 4 Pink, survivors complete their post-cancer healing journey on their own terms, whether with 3-D nipple-areola tattooing or decorative restorative artwork. Confidence, healing, and choice are personal, and every journey deserves to be honored.

A few months ago, we had the privilege of being the guests of honor at a powerful event called Celebrate Her: On Her Terms, where we heard from survivors and Ink 4 Pink beneficiaries. 

Listening to these women’s stories was moving, impactful and an important reminder of why Ink 4 Pink does what it does. 

In their own words, learn how tattooing has made a difference in the lives of our recipients. 

“The best way I can describe this experience is to start with a poem called “Fear” by Kahlil Gibran,” says breast cancer survivor of five years Janine Flanders. 

It is said that before entering the sea

a river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has traveled,

from the peaks of the mountains,

the long winding road crossing forests and villages.

And in front of her,

she sees an ocean so vast,

that to enter

there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.

But there is no other way.

The river can not go back.

Nobody can go back.

To go back is impossible in existence.

The river needs to take the risk

of entering the ocean

because only then will fear disappear,

because that's where the river will know

it's not about disappearing into the ocean,

but of becoming the ocean. 

“After the initial chemo and surgery that I was hopeful would rid me of cells that were trying to kill me, I needed more chemo, and more surgery, that would take my hair, alter and scar parts of my body, and deplete most of my confidence as both a woman and a human being,” shared Janine. “I almost forgot what it was like to wake up and feel physically healthy and without crushing anxiety. To add to the mix, I had a husband who could not handle the perils of being a partner to someone with cancer at all, and so divorce was added to the list of things I thought I could not handle, but had to, because I had two toddler girls who needed me to be their mother, and therefore, giving up was not an option.

It’s said that suffering is life’s greatest teacher, and that is true. Anyone who has gone through cancer will understand the gratitude for survival paired with the quiet grief for what has been lost. …

Corina (Klein), the founder of Ink 4 Pink and one of my best friends, told me the day that I met her that I was going to get through this hell and thrive once again. … Through Corina, I learned about the tattoos that I know from personal experience can be life-changing. The tattoos that I got made me feel like a new version of myself, one that didn’t wince at myself in the mirror.

I was becoming a woman who could make choices to once again, build, beautify and help myself after having to make so many terrible choices that led to destruction and pain on the path to remission. I want every woman to have those choices to be able to feel whole instead of like a collection of scars, and to not let cancer take one more thing from her. That’s why I wholeheartedly believe in Ink 4 Pink. It allows women to make those choices and heal, while taking away the financial burden when tattoos are more often than not denied by insurance.

One of the best parts about Ink 4 Pink is that it can take away the worry and guilt from someone who has already paid so much physically, emotionally and mentally, so that she never thinks that a tattoo is an extravagance that she just can’t afford.

Often, the tattoos are the final step in a long process of healing and also the first step in becoming your first post-cancer self.”    

For survivor, Jessica Harris, turning her scars into something beautiful is what finally made her feel in control of her cancer.

Shares Jessica: “I was 40 years old when I first noticed the small red blood stain in my bra. My days were  busy with a toddler and a preschooler, so I pushed the recurring stain to the back of my mind. I hoped it would go away. I covered my right nipple with a Band-Aid. A few weeks later, on a rare night out, I laughed as I showed my friend my stash of purse Band-Aids. This is normal, right? It’s fine, it’s probably just hormones. Her face told me what I already knew: It was not normal, and it was not fine.  A week later, I found myself at the Breast Center at Portsmouth Hospital.”

Later that evening, Jessica received a call asking her to come in the next day for additional imaging. Hours of biopsies later, the diagnosis came back: Ductal Carcinoma in Situ, or DCIS, an early stage cancer found within the milk ducts. 

“Cancer presented like confetti sprinkled through my right breast, and localized in spots on the left. I never doubted that I wanted a complete double mastectomy. I wanted the cancer out of my body,” said Jessica.  After a six hour surgery to amputate her breasts, she endured biweekly trips from Portsmouth, NH to Boston, MA to inject saline into expanders that stretched her skin and muscles, which was followed by another surgery to swap out the hard expanders for slightly softer implants.  

“Looking in the mirror after your body has been cut, stretched out and restitched is jarring to say the least.  I wanted to be proud of my scars. I wanted to wear them like a badge of honor. I beat cancer. But I hated my new reflection.   

In the haze of post-diagnosis information, I recalled a pamphlet on tattoo artists who specialized in mastectomy scar camouflage. I Googled the words with my own criteria. I wanted a female artist with experience tattooing scar tissue. Tegan Beyer of 5 Monkeys Tattoo was a perfect fit. She was a breast cancer survivor. Her art was phenomenal, and her website stated that she partnered with a nonprofit  called Ink 4 Pink. 

I applied for a grant through Ink 4 Pink and I was accepted. I remember feeling like I was back in control of my body for the first time since hearing the word ‘cancer.’ Tegan worked with me to arrange marigolds, roses, lilacs, irises, morning glories and lilies, until beauty bloomed where my scars were once so stark. I can look at my reflection now and see that a badge of honor doesn’t have to look clinical. The garden of healing across my chest is still my story, just on my terms.”  

Not only is Tegan an extremely talented artist, with 30 years of tattooing experience, she is also a breast cancer survivor, which makes her an empathetic and understanding resource for Ink 4 Pink tattoo recipients. 

“Many women come to my studio feeling defeated,” said Tegan, who also spoke at the Celebrate Her event. “They bear the emotional weight, PTSD from being under anesthesia so often. They’ve endured countless procedures, often to be left with gaping holes and unsightly scars from complications. These women reach out to me as their last step in reconstruction, for tattoos to mark the end of their battle.  

The scars they carry are not just physical, they’re often reminders of lost femininity and self-worth. What strikes me is most never considered getting a tattoo, until cancer changed their lives forever.  If that doesn’t illustrate vulnerability, then what does? 

While some insurance cover tattoos post surgery, they don’t extend that coverage to scar concealment or eyebrow replacement tattoos, which is where Ink 4 Pink comes in. There’s nothing quite like witnessing the expression on my clients’ faces when we finally conceal those scars.  It warms my heart to see their confidence bloom. I even had two clients send me pictures of themselves topless  - what an incredible testament to reclaiming one’s body. 

I may not be a therapist by trade but I can tell you this experience can bring forth healing. My own journey allows me to empathize deeply with my clients. We share laughter and tears   during sessions as we swap war stories about our experiences. It’s cathartic for both sides.”

For more event highlights, check out our Facebook and Instagram pages.