Michael Real

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

Completing my body suit. My suit tells the story of my trials and being able to overcome any obstacles that I’ve encountered. I’ve have survived a stroke, I’ve made it through and recovered from seizures because of that stroke, I have overcome many other obstacles and each piece of my suit tells a different aspect of my journey. I keep putting in more work on my suit to show my resilience despite the odds.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

I am a warrior that has survived and overcome and is driven to achieve my goals. There is a story that travels from my head to my toes and throughout my journey I’ve collected my badges of significance and it’s coming together in on congruent piece that I’ve had to work for. My back shows the things that have my back and I have had to earn each step along the way. My front is resilience and commitment. My appendages show the different elements and the significance behind each o

What would you do with the $25,000?

Pay for medical school. I am working to become a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician and want to focus on school and making it through. This money would allow me to do that more effectively while I concentrate on school and take care of the responsibilities of being single father in Southern California. I have goals but I want to be consistently present in my son’s life while I’m on this educational journey.