MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – For breast cancer survivor Toni Lombardi, reclaiming her femininity following a full mastectomy has been a challenging journey. On July 9, 2025, Lombardi received the painful diagnosis. Doctors found 13 tumors in her right breast, and it had spread to her lymph nodes. “When they performed the ultrasound, (the cancer) lit up like a Christmas tree. It hit really hard,” Lombardi, now 50, told CTV News. “I was diagnosed two weeks before my father passed away so there was a lot of loss. “As soon as you have that diagnosis, the first thing that goes through your mind is death. I just didn’t want to die,” she added. The single mother said she had to persevere for herself and her daughter. Before her full mastectomy, Lombardi said she was asked if she wanted to keep her nipples. “I said no. I just want them off; I don’t want to have to deal with (cancer) again in the future,” she said. However, in the weeks and months that followed her treatment, she found herself struggling to look at the scars that were left on her body. “Being intimate was hard, I didn’t like looking in the mirror. I didn’t feel like myself, I didn’t feel like a woman.” It’s a story that Cathy Syrianos has heard before from other women. It’s also one of the reasons why she founded the Healing Ink Collective, a not-for-profit organization providing free, 3D areola tattoos, drawn by paramedical artists. “These survivors they get to see themselves as whole once again. It’s an important step in their healing journey,” she said. “The work done by these artists is incredible, you’d never know it was a flat tattoo because the finished product looks completely real.” Syrianos now works in the beauty business, but she used to dedicate her time providing free eyebrow tattoos to cancer patients. Seeing how transformative an eyebrow replacement was, not just for a survivor’s appearance but for their overall mental health, eventually led her down the path to start Healing Ink Collective. “I learned about this gap in the system for women who’d had a mastectomy and then reconstructive surgery,” she said. “If they had their areolas and nipples removed their options were limited and expensive.” Speaking with CTV News, Syrianos noted that in Ontario, an areola tattoo procedure is only covered by the government if performed by a doctor. Otherwise, it can cost upwards of $1,500. “Right now, in Ontario, there’s only one doctor doing tattoos … we want our doctors being doctors, not doing tattoos,” she said. “(Paramedical tattoo artists) do such incredible three-dimensional work, and I thought to myself, let’s bring everyone together, let’s break down the financial barrier for survivors and help them complete their journey of healing.” So far, Healing Ink Collective has held two clinic days, and the 37 survivors who attended have been paired with an artist. Lombardi attended a clinic held this past June, and the result brought her to tears. “When I looked down, I just started to cry. For the first time, I didn’t see cancer… I didn’t see the disease. I was at peace, I had reclaimed a part of myself, my femininity,” an emotional Lombardi recalled. Syrianos said this is a topic that shouldn’t be taboo; it’s a part of the human anatomy and should be spoken about openly and honestly. “We want Canadian women to know that we’re here and willing to help, but getting the word out has been difficult.” She said photos promoting her work get flagged as nudity on social media, and her websites also face shadow bans. Lombardi is encouraging other survivors to take the step and reach out. “I was hesitant at first; I wasn’t sure if this was something that I should move forward with. But when the tattoo is completed, it really does give us something back that the disease took away from us,” she said. The Healing Ink Collective is hosting its third clinic this weekend in Mississauga, with hopes of expanding across both the province and country as they strive to help survivors regain their health and their sense of self.
