I'm a Leeds mum who survived cancer and now I tattoo over mastectomy scars for free

Kate Challinor, 44, spends her time covering scars with inkings to bring confidence to patients after surgery.

She discovered a passion for tattooing in September 2018 and was later diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2022.

Kate has since had the all-clear and decided to dedicate her time to doing tattoos for cancer patients - for free.

The self-taught tattooist started a charity in February 2022 in order to help ''as many women as possible''

Kate, of Kippax, said: "Most of these women felt unwanted. Tattoos offer a chance for survivors to live confidently.

"Tattoo-wise, scar tissue is incredibly expensive and difficult to work on. I spend hours and even days on every design.

"I've taken what I've been through and I wanted to make it beautiful. It's been a joy to help others.

"Scarring is our battle wounds. Confidence is crucial to every woman."

Kate's journey began in 2018 when she was working as a professional artist with an online gallery.

After struggling with chronic pain for 10 years and abdominal scarring from suffering from endometriosis which started in her mid 20s, Kate discovered a large lump.

It rapidly developed on her neck she got checked out at Leeds General Infirmary in December 2021.

Just a month later, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in January 2022.

After medics removed half her thyroid and she was fortunate to keep the other half after getting the all clear in April 2022.

Mum-of-two Kate said: "I was so lucky that I caught it early. I'm fortunate that my surgery didn't leave me with any noticeable scars.

''But I do have scars from having 10 surgeries in 10 years which after my ordeal I really wanted to get covered up.

"I didn't feel very good about my scars. I had always loved tattoos due to my degree in fine art."

But after researching the cost of scar tattoos, Kate decided to buy her own tattoo gun and quickly mastered the ink on her own.

After teaching herself for 12 months, she practised a few designs on herself before moving on to a client.

Her first mastectomy client was her friend, Liz Burn, 55, a nurse, who was left with a scar after a single mastectomy due to breast cancer.

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Kate said: "I was incredibly nervous to work on Liz. She had been through so much, I just wanted to make her feel good.

"We loved chatting during the session and even had a little cry."

After 24 months of freelancing, she launched the Inkredible Foundation in May 2023 - a charity that offers tattoos of any size to cover scars for free.

Kate started this charity with her husband, Stuart Challinor, 55, who works with adults with autism and is a chairman of the charity.

In the short time since their launch, Kate has tattooed over 70 women left with surgical scars that were having a ''detrimental effect'' on their daily lives.

Kate said: "My favourite part is watching their confidence return. Most of these women wouldn't leave their homes. They would wear jumpers in the scorching heat."

Kate spends over 10 hours on every session with some requiring multiple sessions to complete.

The charity even created a calendar for 2024 - filled with women showing off the new tattoos covering their scars.

After becoming a full-time tattooist, Kate is looking to fundraise for her charity to continue providing free services to cancer survivors with scars.

She said: "Everyone deserves to feel beautiful. Breast cancer is a life-altering disease.

"All I want to do is bring some joy back into their lives. I love being a part of these women's journey. Every survivor deserves to live unapologetically."