Cancer leaves scars- many invisible to the human eye but lingering and painful
inside of its survivors hearts and minds. I know this because I was one of the 1.7
million people in the U.S. diagnosed with cancer last year; two separate
cancers actually -breast and kidney cancer
My name is Petrina Hamm and I'm a survivor on a mission. Like far too many
breast cancer survivors, it all started for me with a simple mammogram, followed
up by two biopsies, a long visit to an oncologist who put me on a treatment
plan involving placement of a port in my chest for six months of chemotherapy, a
bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction, removal of my right kidney, six weeks of
painful radiation , removal of my ovaries, capped off with what will likely be ten
full years of hormone therapy in the form of a pricey prescription. I lost my
hair, my eyebrows, even some skin throughout my treatment - and yes of
course also my breasts. Breasts that I'd nurtured two children with. Breasts that
my husband was rather fond of. Mastectomy, whether or not you opted for
reconstruction, always leaves you with scars and they are a brutal reminder of
everything you've been through. Survivors can draw in their eyebrows and wear a
wig throughout treatment to look and feel more normal. Their hair and their
eyebrows will eventually grow back, but every time they look at their bare chest,
they'll either see a concave space where their breasts used to be or strange
nipple-less reconstructed breasts. Getting a tattoo to either have 3d nipples on
your reconstructed chest or a larger more intricate design to cover your
surgery scars can be a tremendously uplifting way for a survivor to reclaim
control over their bodies after their treatment is done. To turn their scars
into beautiful art. To heal. To get even beyond normal. Some insurance plans will
cover the cost of having 3d nipples tattooed on reconstructed breasts- but
many don't. And none will even consider covering the cost of a chest tattoo to
cover the scars. Getting a professional tattoo done can cost anywhere between
200 and over a thousand dollars depending on where you
and the skill level of the artist. Cancer treatment, even when you are insured, is
terrifyingly expensive. For many survivors, a tattoo is just not a luxury that
they can afford. They may not even know where to go to find a tattoo artist with
experience in doing 3d nipples or working on scarred or radiated skin...and
that's where you and I can come in. I'm working on starting an official
nonprofit organization that will not only find and identify skilled tattoo
artists to work with cancer survivors but also issue full grants to pay for
these tattoos for survivors who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford
them. But starting a 501 C 3 nonprofit organization costs money and that's
where I need your help! There are various filing fees, accounting
software, working with a tax consultant, insurance premiums and a number of other
expenses involved in launching this type of project. With your help, we can create
this nonprofit org, begin taking tax-deductible donations, scout out for
skilled tattoo artists willing to work with our organization, building a website
to promote the organization and working with cancer centers to get the word out
to patients. We'll first kick off in my home state of
North Carolina and as this nonprofit grows, we will expand to other states in the
US and ideally even start assisting survivors of other forms of cancer who
are living with scars from treatment. Wanna join in? There are three different
ways you can help. Number one: you can become one of our
founding sponsors by contributing to the launch fund at startsomegood.com/artfromscars.
There are some pretty cool rewards there for donors so
be sure to check it out and give! Number two: join our email update list by sending
me an email over to petrina@petrinahamm.com, let me know you want to get
involved and possibly volunteer in different events in your area. And number
three is a big one- that is spreading the word and telling all of your friends! Be
sure to share the link on any form of social media you use. I hope you'll join
in on the launch and help cancer survivors turn their scars into art.
Thank you so much for watching and I hope to
see you in the founding sponsors list.