Freshman pre-nursing major Leslee Slinger encountered a lot of difficulties in her eighteen years.
In only a couple of years, Slinger suddenly lost her daddy, mommy and also sibling to cancer.
Her tattoo design a cancer bow along with three butterflies on her left part.
“Each butterfly represents a family member that died of cancer,” Slinger explained.
“It’s hard not being able to talk to them, see them, or to have them there to support you,” Slinger added in. “We were really close. Luckily, it made my remaining family stronger, rather than tear us apart.”
The choice to have a tattoo to honor her ordeals had been effortless.
“I wanted to get one when I was 18, just like everyone else did,” Slinger stated. “But I wanted it to mean something.”
In July of 2010, Slinger met with designers at Ink Spot in Belton in order to sketch out her tattoo.
“I had a general idea of what I wanted, and they drew it up really well,” she explained.
Slinger claimed the tattoo reminds her of life’s shortness.
“Everything can change in just one day,” Slinger stated, “so hold on to the family that you have.”
In the course of crisis, Slinger looked to her auntie for assistance as well as advice. Her aunt took Slinger under her mentorship as well as brought her up as her very own child.
Slinger desires to some day have a tattoo to recognize her, too.
On the other hand, body art aren’t the only real long term mark Slinger has established to keep in mind her loved ones.
At Raymore-Peculiar High School, where Slinger as well as her brother had been both students, an annual scholarship grant is offered in his honor.
“The Derek Slinger Leadership Award is given to a senior who shows great leadership skills the way my brother did,” Slinger stated. “For instance, even though he was in and out of the hospital during most of high school and going through so much, he was still able to be student council president and speak at graduation. He was a very lively, caring and strong person.”
