Plymouth woman wants to give back, share story after healing through tattoos

Editor's Note: This story contains mentions of assault, trauma and PTSD.

PLYMOUTH – Valerie Ringwell said she struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder after she was assaulted.

She felt alone and didn’t have a good way to cope with the trauma. She tried counseling and exercising.

“Those things helped, and they helped a lot, but there wasn't that thing that just helped me feel,” Ringwell said.

During a tattoo session at Full Throttle Ink with artist Chad Jankus after the assault, Ringwell saw some similarities with the process and her journey to heal.

“I was watching how you have like a bare piece of skin and then as he (Jankus) does all the artwork, and he draws on it, and you actually go through all the pain and the skin trauma and then you wind up with this beautiful piece of art on your body afterwards,” she said.

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Inspired, Ringwell and Jankus collaborated with videographers and photographers across the Midwest on a series capturing the progression of creating a tattoo in the context of trauma, PTSD and healing.

The series focuses on an “Alice in Wonderland” -inspired tattoo on Ringwell’s back. Alice, the Cheshire Cat, White Rabbit and Caterpillar are seen through a keyhole, surrounded by objects from the story: the Mad Hatter’s hat, a tea party cake, playing card flowers, bread and butterflies and rocking horse flies.

It was a movie, among others from Disney, she said watched after the assault.

“It's so (chaotic),” Ringwell said. “And then there's different little meanings behind everything. And I feel like that kind of signified not only this project that I wanted to do, but it also kind of signified my entire experience.”

Several interpretations of Lewis Carroll’s 19th-century tale explore the themes and symbols, among them reality, mental health, control and self-discovery.

Ringwell is hosting an event that will share the story and fundraise for organizations including Safe Harbor of Sheboygan County , which was “instrumental” for her after she was assaulted. She said the organization brought her a bag of fresh clothes, toothpaste and a toothbrush among other items when she was in the hospital, a service people may not be aware of.

“When everything's taken from you and you're already going through this horrible thing, (it’s) just kind of nice,” she said.

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Ringwell said she’s developed “amazing connections” and booked modeling gigs from the tattoo project. The tattoo was featured in several magazines, like Property of Ink Magazine and Global Tattoo Magazine.

“It actually opened all these amazing doors for me, and I'm doing things that I never would have thought I'd imagined doing in my life,” she said.

Ringwell has learned of other people, some close to her, who have gone through similar experiences. She said people shouldn’t have to feel alone or that they don’t have any resources.

“You shouldn't have to feel you have to hide what happened to you,” Ringwell said.

Fundraiser at Racer's Hall in Plymouth

The “Through the Looking Glass" fundraiser will be at Racer’s Hall Sports Bar and Grill , W4408 County Road C in Plymouth, Sept. 28. Attendees can listen to music from Sheboygan DJ Queen of Spin and participate in a silent auction and raffles from 2 to 6 p.m. A variety show, for individuals 21 years and older, will be from 7 to 9 p.m.

Proceeds will benefit Safe Harbor and Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin .

Have a story tip? Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com . Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @alexx_garner .

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Plymouth woman wants to give back, share story after healing through tattoos