P.ink Day Minneapolis is coming on October 10th, 2015! Meet Luella!

#PinkTattooDayMSP

We’ve started getting ready for P.ink Day Minneapolis 2015. It will once again be on October 10^th. P.ink Day is our annual day of healing with ink, when we pair tattoo artists with breast cancer survivors for a free mastectomy tattoo. It’s our make-a-wish experience that puts survivors at the center of our universe. Click here for a peek at last year’s event.  And for more information about this year’s plans, click here.

I’m the Local Leader for Minneapolis. And this year, I am very happy to report that we have a committee of organizers! On it are three of the participants from 2014!! It is very awesome that there was a desire to give back to the movement. Once again, Twilight Tattoo is hosting the event. We have four returning artists and two new ones are joining the effort. We have found six incredible survivor warriors who will get their healing tattoo on October 10^th. I will introduce the survivor warriors and their tattoo artists here each week!

Our first survivor warrior is Luella Williams. Luella will be 57 just before P.ink Day 2015, and she is a three-time breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed the first time when she was 29. Then again, twenty years later. And then, once again, just two years ago. In all, Luella’s been surviving and dealing with breast cancer for almost 28 years. Four years ago, she went through reconstruction. On top of the breast cancer, Luella also manages her type 2 diabetes.

Luella’s husband Al, as well as her deep connection to God, have both been a guiding force through it all. And barely a year ago, Al got throat cancer. Luella was able to be there for Al in a whole new way. Al taught Luella how to box, and since both of them are now boxing their way through cancer survivorship, Luella has decided that one of the images she wants as her first ever tattoo, is a pair of boxing gloves.

Luella’s sons have lots of tattoos and they told her to go for it. She has lots of scars as a result of all the surgeries she has endured, and when she heard about P.ink Day, she jumped at the opportunity. Luella is pretty nervous about the actual tattooing, and considering what she has already endured, she decided she’s willing to go for it.

Luella is a member of the African-American Breast Cancer Alliance, which hosts gatherings here in Minneapolis-St. Paul. She speaks at many events, encouraging women to get mammograms, as she knows early detection is critical for survival.

Luella will be getting her tattoo from our Minneapolis P.ink Day Lead Artist Joe Andrews. Joe’s mother died from breast cancer when he was a toddler, so this health issue is close to his heart. Joe used to work at Twilight Tattoo and he is a good friend of the Twilight Tattoo owner, Shane Wallin. Shane now owns another tattoo shop in San Diego, California, Garnet Tattoo, where Shane and his wife Toni, will host another P.ink Day! Joe’s art is nothing short of incredible. Joe works at his own shop now, which is Evolution Tattoo in Bloomington, Minnesota. I know that Luella is in excellent hands with Joe!

Thanks for reading about our amazing, courageous survivors and the incredible tattoo artists who are donating their time and artistic talent to P.ink Day Minneapolis 2015. Be sure to leave an encouraging comment for Luella and her artist Joe!

And, while you’re at it, please Like our new P.ink Day Minneapolis Facebook page!! And encourage your friends to Like the page, we want to build the page, to help get the word out!!! Thanks so much!!

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