COLUMBUS, Ohio — It's a different shade of pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Or shading, we should say.
Breast cancer survivors from as far away as Missouri came to Columbus to heal with new art. Art that symbolizes their journey.
“In 2016, I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer,” Stockwell explained.
“I did 56 radiation treatments,” said Tabitha Adkins from Charleston, West Virginia.
These women just met, yet, they know each other all too well.
“We became part of a club that we didn't exactly ask to be a part of. I'm in that club and I'm going to embrace it and embrace the people who are in it with me,” Stockwell explained.
Being a part of that club and the healing process.
“This is a way for them to take back their power because they are choosing their design. A doctor chose how their scar was going to look,” said Catina Pitzen, the local leader of P.Ink.
Letting them decide art over scars.
Personal Ink, or P.ink, connects with tattoo artists and helps women find closure through after after a mastectomy. Every October, the organization connects with tattoo shops to provide free tattoos to breast cancer survivors.
“We know that tattooing is self-expression. We know how important someone's physical appearance is to them. Anything we can do to help someone reclaim their dignity, if that has been compromised at all, we are more than willing to do,” said Gahanna Tattoo co-owner, J. Brett Prince.
Prince, along with the artists who work at his shop, donated their space and talents for a day to make these women whole again.
“It is an amazing experience that you can watch the growth right in front of your eyes,” Prince said.
Stockwell had a double mastectomy.
“I'm done. I'm cancer free,” she said.
But she doesn't feel done.
“Right now I feel undone. I feel like I'll be finished,” Stockwell said.
She and 14 other women received tattoos through the P.Ink event.
“I felt like everything you are told that makes you a woman, was taken from me. It's been a struggle,” Adkins said.
Beauty, like tattoos is more than skin-deep. Which is why Adkins chose a mermaid design for her tattoo.
“There's always beauty in the depths. Sometimes you have to look a little harder, but there's always beauty,” Adkins said.
While these women gain confidence through taking control of their bodies. They don't want more to join their club and wants everyone to take control of their health.
“Early detection is key,” Stockwell said.