A woman dubbed "Britain's most tattooed mom" had a pretty weird concern about her ink when her partner was fighting for his life.
Melissa Sloan, 46, has gained notoriety for her extensive body art, primarily done "prison style" at home by her partner, Luke.
She has over 800 tattoos and despite facing discrimination for her appearance, has no plans of slowing down.
However, her tattoo journey faced a potential halt when Luke, with whom she shares two children, was rushed to the hospital last year due to failing health.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Star, Melissa expressed her fears, admitting: "He’s still with me – God bless him. I don’t know what I would do without him, I really wouldn’t know what to do. I’d have no tattoos done then if he went, would I! If I can’t get my tattoos done then I’d be a right mess."
Luke's health scare, characterized by heart failure and respiratory issues, put Melissa's tattoo routine in jeopardy. However, against the odds, Luke's condition stabilized, sparing Melissa from both the loss of her partner and the interruption to her tattoo sessions.
Struggling with the potential grief of losing both her partner and her tattoo artist, Melissa turned to prayer by Luke's bedside, forging a newfound connection with Jesus.
Recalling the moment, she shared: "When Luke was in hospital on his last legs, when he had hours to live, I was there by his side. He was given everything, he just had to pull through.
"I prayed that night in the room and I never prayed before and I said 'don’t let him die for the kids'. And a miracle happened, he pulled through and that’s when I think I started to believe in Jesus."
Melissa's spiritual journey, however, faced obstacles. Despite her newfound faith, she recounted being "chucked" out of a local church due to her tattoos and what she described as her "loud" demeanor.
"They kicked me out and it just felt so wrong because they’re supposed to open the doors to everyone, I couldn’t believe it," she said.
This isn't the first time that Melissa has faced difficulties, as her troubles extend beyond social gatherings.
She disclosed that tattoo artists have refused to work with her, deeming her appearance "beyond help," per the Daily Star.
"Tattoo shops shut the door on me – tattooists won't let me in. When I had this done [my face], there's one about five miles up the road and they won't do it," she shared.
After airing her grievances on TikTok, she claimed to have received offers from artists willing to tattoo her free of charge.
"I'm shocked that the tattoo artist is accepting me for who I am because they don't see behind me [the tattoos] but he's offered me to go," Sloan revealed. "I'm very surprised."
Sloan's tattoo journey, marked by an average of three new tattoos per week, has led to approximately three layers of ink on her face alone.
However, her tattooed appearance has also posed challenges in securing employment.
"I can’t get a job. They won’t have me. I applied for a job cleaning toilets where I live and they won’t have me because of my tattoos," she expressed.
