The Facial Aesthetic Medical Tattoo Program at Eagle Ridge Hospital is available free of charge to patients recovering from cancers of the face, neck and throat.
Malcolm Matheson never imagined going to a hospital for a tattoo. “Definitely not,” laughs the Pitt Meadows father of four and grandfather of six. “I never had a tattoo, never wanted a tattoo and when I told my granddaughter I was getting a tattoo on my face, she was surprised.”
The about-face came after Malcolm had cancerous tissue removed from his neck, throat and cheek. Doctors grafted skin from his arm onto his face.
“My first priority was to stay alive for my family,” says Malcolm. “However, when my surgeon suggested I meet with Sandi to have the new skin colour-matched so the tissue would blend more naturally into surrounding skin, I thought, why not?”
Helping patients like Malcolm heal comes naturally to Sandi Saunier, a surgical nurse at Eagle Ridge Hospital. Tattooing wasn’t on her radar until 2009 when a surgeon floated the idea of an areola tattoo clinic for breast cancer patients. To date, Sandi has tattooed areolas on about 1,400 breast cancer survivors. Now, she is expanding her skillset to include patients recovering from cancers of the facial region.
The Facial Aesthetic Medical Tattoo Program operates two days per month, while the Areola Tattoo Clinic continues to operate one day per week. The remainder of the time, Sandi is employed as a surgical nurse at Eagle Ridge Hospital.
“When people look in the mirror, they see this visible reminder of how they’ve survived cancer,” says Sandi. “Often, they’ve gone through multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation, so being able to help with that final piece that makes them feel better about themselves is gratifying.”
Each tattoo session takes up to two hours. Because Sandi is a registered nurse with special training, she can provide a local anesthetic to minimize the pain that normally comes with tattooing. There is no cost to patients, thanks to ongoing funding from Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation.
“For many patients, this program is the final step in their recovery journey—when they start to feel like themselves again. It’s about restoring confidence, dignity, and identity. Because of our donors, the Foundation is able to provide this transformational care right here at Eagle Ridge Hospital, and we’re incredibly proud to fully fund it,” says Kristina Chung, executive director, Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation.
Since facial skin is exposed to light, sunscreen and other elements, tattoos often need touching up. About an hour after Malcolm checked in for his touch up, he had a new tattoo complete with a few tiny black dots mimicking his facial hair.
“It’s probably not the skull and crossbones my granddaughter was expecting, but wow, it looks great,” says Malcolm. “Having this service available has really helped me in my healing journey from cancer.”
The Facial Aesthetic Medical Tattoo Program is available to cancer patients throughout the Lower Mainland referred by a surgeon. For more information on how to support this program, call 604-469-3128 or visit Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation.
Carrie Stefanson is a senior consultant, Communications and Public Affairs, at Fraser Health.
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