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In Brazil, breast cancer is the one that most punishes women, according to data from the National Cancer Institute (Inca). Every year about 66,000 new cases are detected. Scientific studies reveal that 30% could have been controlled thanks to early detection. However, the coronavirus pandemic slowed the performance of mammograms and other diagnostic tests. Amid the harsh landscape, a tattoo artist gives survivors of this evil a ray of happiness on their path to recovery.
A recent investigation carried out by the Intelligence Research and Consulting Institute (Ipec) with 1,397 women, at the request of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, reveals that in the last 18 months, 48% of those surveyed did not undergo mammograms or other medical tests for Cancer prevention. 21% responded that they resorted to self-examination and 27% did not undergo any evaluation during that entire period.
In the month of Pink October, we meet Beto dos Santos, a tattoo artist from Rio de Janeiro who offers his artistic talent to reconstruct the nipples of women who have undergone a mastectomy and subsequent breast reconstruction for free. France 24 en Español accompanied Carla Barbosa to her studio to perform this simple procedure, capable of raising the self-esteem of these patients.
In April 2020, early in the pandemic, Carla discovered during a routine exam that she had a malignant cancer of her nipple. “The diagnosis was complicated. He caught me in a moment of suffering. A month before I had lost my mother and a month later I found out about cancer, ”she recalls. She lives in a suburban city in Rio de Janeiro, where there is a waiting list for free medical care.
With the help of a doctor friend, she was able to operate on her chest urgently. Her areola was removed. Afterwards, she had to go through a cycle of chemotherapy. For months, she Carla fought against the disease until she defeated it. What she did not expect was to also have to deal with the psychological consequences.
“I feel a bit mutilated. I don’t have the courage to look at myself in the mirror, because I know that a part of me is missing, ”she explained on the day of the tattoo. At 41, this pastry chef just wanted to get back to normal.
Tattoos as rays of resilience
Thanks to an association of women affected by breast cancer, she discovered the solidarity initiative of Beto, who has been doing free tattoos for 11 years. It took a while for her to come because she works almost every day and lives far from her studio.
After examining Carla’s breasts to be able to exactly copy her nipple, Beto got to work. In just over half an hour, the job was done. “Before, I couldn’t see Carla in the mirror. She spotted someone else. Now I’m really seeing Carla, ”said this woman, smiling, after admiring her entire areola.
Beto hopes that other tattoo artists in the world can be inspired by his work, raise awareness and help women affected by this cancer. “It costs nothing. It is a job of a few minutes that will make a woman happy for the rest of her life. And another thing: the whole family around also stays at ease. It is a stream of love,” she explains.
Hundreds of women have smiled again thanks to the generosity of this professional, who continues to take care of them even after the tattoo. Some, like Marcia Ivone Couto, return for another: a pink ribbon, which identifies cancer patients. This simple tattoo can make a lot of difference in an emergency, as a patient with no lymph nodes cannot get pricks in the arm.
“The breast causes balance. It’s not just for breastfeeding, it represents a lot for a woman. So at that moment, when Beto gave me the first tattoo, I cried, but with joy, because I was finally whole again, ”says Márcia, who years ago also recovered her own love for herself thanks to Beto’s talent.
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