St. John's tattoo fundraiser marks $70K raised for cancer patients
For a St. John's tattoo parlour, what began as a modest fundraiser 13 years ago has now raised more than $70,000 for cancer patients in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Over the weekend, for $100 plus tax, Trouble Bound Studio customers could get a cancer ribbon tattoo of their choice, with all proceeds going to Daffodil Place, a residence that provides a place to stay for cancer patients and their families during treatments in St. John's.
Studio owner Dave Munro says the community response to the fundraiser, held for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, has exceeded all expectations; what he thought would be a total of 10 ribbons has turned into more than 650, and counting.
Munro said it felt good to hold the fundraiser again.
"We get all kinds of incredible stories. Some of them are really sad, some of them are unbelievably moving, some of them are incredibly inspirational," said Munro.
"It's a roller-coaster of emotions as far as the day goes but it's such a monumental kind of roller-coaster, so it's great for all of us to kind of go through it with them."
The fundraiser is a personal matter for Munro, whose brother died due to glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, 13 years ago.
The fundraiser, which falls on Munro's brother's birthday, is dedicated to him and all other loved ones the studio staff have lost over the years.
"My brother was a very large community activist. And the idea of doing something that kind of flowed back towards the community was largely inspired not just by him, but by everybody at the studio who had gone through loss," said Munro.
"It's a way of celebrating his life, by giving other people better opportunities to fight. And I can't think of a better memorial."
For Munro, it was important to donate the proceeds from the fundraiser to a cause that stays within the community.
"If you're alone and you have to deal with this level of battle, it's hard to take care of yourself, never mind monitoring your medications, your blood levels, getting to appointments, remembering things when you're sick — like, it's so difficult," said Munro.
"So the conceptualization was very much based around, we need something that's going to be hands-on. We need something that's going to take care of people."
Daffodil Place is that kind of facility, he said.
"It's going to help people make sure that they're eating, it's going to give them a support network, it's going to drive them to their appointments and make sure they're OK at the end of the appointment.… It was really a no-brainer."
Munro and the other tattoo artists at the studio were busy tattooing all day. About 35 customers were scheduled, including Kayla Hynes, who got a new black cancer ribbon in honour of her late grandmother who died due to squamous skin cancer, and Chelsea Pittman, who got the colours of her cancer ribbon retouched.
Another customer was Kitty Whelan, who has metastatic breast cancer.
The fundraiser for Daffodil Place, said Whelan, means everything to her.
"Every three months, I'm at the cancer clinic now with my metastatic breast cancer getting my treatment," said Whelan. "And to see all those people — some of them are really, really sick — to see the Daffodil Place is there to help them and to give them a little bit of relief from financing and things and a place to stay and everything, it means the world to me because it helps. It helps a lot."
When Whelan was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, she got her first cancer ribbon tattoo as part of the fundraiser. Then, in 2019, the breast cancer metastasized to her bones.
When she heard about the fundraiser taking place again this year, she knew she wanted a second ribbon, for metastasized breast cancer, as a sign of her resilience.
"When I first was diagnosed, of course, I was a little bit angry and frustrated but it's been a few years now," said Whelan.
"So, I said, rather than be angry about cancer, I am just going to embrace it, and enjoy and embrace it, and do what I can and be happy. Because I really do believe that the more you can be calm and less stressful and not bitter or angry, I think the better it is for your diagnosis anyway."
For Munro, it's clients like Whelan that he is holding the fundraiser for — and hearing stories like hers is still emotional for him.
"I got more than choked up. There were tears rolling down my face," Munro said.
"You take someone like her who's literally just in a perpetual state of celebrating life, you know, it resonates with you.… So getting to hear her and how strong and how powerful her message is as far as moving forward no matter what the situation, it just pulls at your heart."
