Tammy Anderson

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

The beauty of a butterfly with strength in character and pride in existence of a tiger. This is my family- no apologies are made for who we are, or where we came from. We struggle, scrap, and fight for our existence all the way to my great grandma who escaped Nazi Germany with my grandfather. My great grandpa never made it, as he had his tongue nailed to a kitchen table in the old country and didn't live. There is beauty and pride in survival.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

If my ink could speak it would talk of struggle and opportunity. On the outside, our ancestors make it look easy (like a beautiful Monarch butterfly) for those of us who don't have to struggle for prey (opportunity), like they did.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would raise awareness for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (Machado Joseph's Disease). A large segment of my family has this rare disease for which there is no cure. It hurts to see perfectly able minded loved ones trapped in a body that does not cooperate, and gradually strips beauty, strength and pride away. Much of the current population has never heard of this rare disease. I would like to do my part in bringing awareness to this predator.