- Looks so good.
I have this scar that I got when I was three years old.
My aunt was taking care of me at the time and instead of
sitting me down in a high chair like a normal three year
old kid I was sat down in a regular chair.
She served me this bowl of soup and for a second she turned
around and I poured the hot bowl of soup on myself.
Covering my chest,
my right arm,
and my right leg.
I had third degree burns and I still have
the scar on my chest.
- I have a scar here that I got from
playing basketball last year.
It was a freak accident.
I got tripped up and when I woke up I saw my
knee cap lodged in my thigh.
I called my mom.
She rushed me to the ER.
The doctor basically said that I had
a ruptured patella tendon.
This tendon from my knee cap to my shin bone
had ruptured and exploded.
There was nothing keeping these two things connected so
basically my leg would go limp.
Kind of like that.
So we're here at The Warren Tattoo to.
[Oscar] Get a tattoo to cover up my scar.
- So you're wanting to incorporate your scar like not
actually cover it all but sort of decorate?
- Yeah I definitely don't want to cover it up just because
it's been with me my whole life.
But I do want something on it to kind of bring it together.
I'm like very Mexican and so I want something to do with my
background and so I'm obsessed with the Dia de los Muertos.
Both the skulls and the flowers.
I do want a quote probably somewhere around here or here.
She actually has a flower tattoo as well.
It was kind of like when she went through depression too.
You know, I just kind of want to get the same flower here.
- Do you want that to be actually connecting to your scar?
- [Victor] Yeah. The scar's like the stem.
(lively music)
- [Oscar] I'm nervous but I'm kind of excited.
- Yep.
(buzzing)
- That noise.
(laughs)
- [Oscar's Mom] When I walk into the house,
the first thing I saw was he was very red and he had
blisters on his chest.
I rushed him to the hospital.
They had told me to put him on the hospital bed and he was
crying and screaming and he keep holding onto me and saying
no mommy, please no.
So, I.
- Aww.
(crying)
You're gonna make me cry too mom.
- It's because it's so sad to see your son crying and
screaming and you feel,
you can't do nothing about it.
(soft music)
- This is for you ma.
- [Artist] Ready?
- Yeah let's do this.
(buzzing)
- [Victor] I'm nervous.
(buzzing)
- [Victor's Mom] I saw him sat down on the floor,
very painful that walk cannot straight.
You hurt your body but you also hurt in your heart.
And you cannot share that pain.
You really want to take a little bit pain
from that person to you.
To share that.
The only thing I can tell him that.
To be where you are.
I always believe if anything happens,
it could be worse.
(buzzing)
- How are you feeling so far?
- Good.
It's always like that first initial pinch.
So growing up,
middle school was a tough three years.
Everybody has PE.
We have to change.
I was embarrassed of showing my scars so I would either
change in the bathroom before going into the locker room
or I would the shirt underneath and then just go to school
dressed in my PE shirt.
I feel like that's always something I've had to deal with.
As an adult I got a little bit better about it but I'm still
shy sometimes when it comes to like taking off my shirt
and showing my scar.
(buzzing)
- I went through a lot mentally and obviously physically.
Couldn't walk for three months.
The surgery recovery itself was one of the most painful
things I've experienced in my life.
To this day I still remember every single ticking point
that changed me internally and made me appreciate
the small things in life.
Realize that you can't take any little thing for granted
like walking or even bending your knee and how important
that is to your every day life was a very
tough moment for me.
And this scar is a daily reminder of the pain that I felt
then and the pain that I feel now.
(uplifting music)
- Can I see, can I see?
(gasp)
Wow.
[Victor]- This is it.
- [Victor's Mom] Wow.
- [Victor] Yeah, it was a little painful
but not as painful as what I went through.
- I probably won't be taking my shirt off anytime soon but
I am comfortable now that I have a tattoo to show.
- So this is my way of saying thank you for everything.
(sniffs)
For taking care of me and literally helping me
stand back up.
- I will forever have the scar and now it's kind of cool to
like have a tattoo on it that I will have
for the rest of my life.
- When I look back at this tattoo.
It's no longer a scar,
it's a piece of me and a piece of you ma.
- My heart in there.
My heart in that little rose.
- Yeah.
- Thanks mom for coming.
(kiss)
- I love you too son.
(chuckles)
- I couldn't have done this without you.
(soft music)