A Thamesville woman will soon be able to hide the pain associated with her battle with cancer.
Anita Mcluskie has been cancer free for two years, but scars left behind from a double mastectomy serve as a constant reminder to her.
During a trip to Loko Ink Tattoos in Ridgetown, Mcluskie says the topic of her scars came up in conversation.
"The tattoo artist [and owner of Loko Ink Dairon Rivero] said he wanted me to see something beautiful and not the scars," she says, adding Rivero offered to cover Mcluskie's scars for free.
"I cried," she says.
Rivero says he felt compelled to help Mcluskie.
"The tragedy that Anita has had to endure in the last two years, many do not have to face in all their lives," he says. "From cancer and having the mastectomy... I wanted Anita to look in the mirror and see beauty and feel beautiful."
Alice in Wonderland themed tattoo for Anita Mcluskie. (Photo courtesy of Loko Ink Tattoos).
In order to cover the scars, Mcluskie has chosen to do a full Alice in Wonderland themed portrait.
"My life has had a lot of ups and downs so sometimes I feel like I'm looking through The Looking Glass," she says.
So far, Mcluskie has part of the outline complete.
"He is an amazing artist!" she says. "Looking at his art is what made me decide to go ahead with it."
Rivero is expecting to finish the tattoo sometime this summer. The two are currently going through three-hour sessions once a month.