Tattooed skin removed and kept in memory of lost loved ones
The loss of a loved one is devastating for a family and depending on cultural background or religious beliefs, there are several ways grieving families choose to remember them.
A few years ago, Cleveland mortician Michael Sherwood and his son Kyle were having a few drinks with mates when they started talking about tattoos and what they mean to people.
Kyle Sherwood (L) and his father Micheal are morticians who remove tattooed skin from a deceased loved one so their family have an everlasting memory of them. Facebook
"One of my dad's friends told him he would like his tattoo preserved," Kyle told 9news.com.au.
"Being the guys our friends come to with death-related questions, we kind of laughed about it at first."
But the friend pushed the matter and it got Mr Sherwood, a third-generation practitioner, thinking.
"With the art in tattoos and how much they mean to people, why not keep them after they die?" Kyle said.
"People put ashes in urns on mantles and visit stones with their loved one's names on them. Why not keep their tattoos as a memorial?"
From that idea Save My Ink Forever was born.
The duo offers people the opportunity to have their ink preserved as an artwork after they pass away.
"It's a lengthy process, roughly three to four months," Kyle said.
He said the tattoo is "excised" at the funeral home within 72 hours of the person passing and can be done before or after embalming is completed.
"Our process does not interfere with traditional viewing or cremation," he said.
He said they treat the corpse and the tattooed flesh with the same dignity and respect as with any funeral preparation process. Once done, a family has a parchment-like artwork they can hang in remembrance of their lost loved one.
"There is no maintenance, just treat it as you would fine art," Kyle said.
The Sherwoods' methods have copped some hate from conservative members of the broader community.
The father and son duo behind Save My Ink Forever remove tattooed skin from recently deceased loved ones so their families have an art piece to remember them by. Save My Ink Forever
Some have even compared them to Ed Gein, a notorious murderer who mutilated his victims, exhumed bodies from graves and made souvenirs including clothes and masks from their skin, bones and organs.
But the family says they don't care about the naysayers and the families wishes are what is important, with full consent always given and regular updates throughout the process.
"It's the family we care about – who am I to say how they should remember their loved one?" Kyle said.
"Most super conservative people disagree with tattoos in general and have no Idea what they mean to people."
Many people who have invested time and money into elaborate tattoos have used the Save My Ink Forever's services for after they have passed away. Save My Ink Forever
The Sherwoods do have limits on what they will and won't do, drawing a line at preserving face and genital tattoos.
They have also knocked back requests for lampshades and book covers to be made, opting to stick to wall mounted pieces instead.
"We are helping families and fulfilling their last wishes," Kyle said.
"We are not trying to create a freakshow."
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