Mum Gets Daughter's Brain Scan Inked On Her Chest To Raise Awareness Of Rare Muscle Condition

'Hopefully people will ask me what the tattoo is and I can explain all about it.'

A mum whose daughter suffers from a rare muscle condition has decided to get a tattoo on her chest of her daughter's brain. 

Zara Gabriel, 36, said the permanent ink was to honour her daughter's bravery after she was born with a genetic mutation.  

Her daughter Eleanor, 14, suffers with muscular dystrophy, cardiomyopathy (a disease of the heart muscle) and dystonia (uncontrollable muscle spasms), which all affect her ability to control body movement. 

"I wanted to raise awareness of dystonia but couldn't think of anything appropriate until I saw a brain x-ray Eleanor had done showing her stimulator and electrodes," Gabriel said.

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Gabriel continued: "I love gothic things - I am a big horror fan and always wanted to get a skull tattoo but didn't want something everyone else has.

"So I decided to get Eleanor's brain x-ray tattooed onto my chest as a tribute to her bravery and to raise awareness of dystonia and DBS." 

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Zara Gabriel/ SWNS.com
Eleanor recovering in hospital after a brain operation aged eight

Gabriel said her daughter has been through a lot at such a young age. 

When Eleanor was eight, she underwent a brain operation called 'deep brain stimulation' (DBS).

It involved placing a stimulator on her chest and doctors drilling into her brain in an attempt to help her control her muscle movements. 

But the mum said she found it hard that no one really knew much about her daughter's condition. 

"The tattoo came about because a woman messaged me on Facebook who had a daughter going through a similar sort of thing but couldn't find any information online," she said.

"It made me think that poor woman was so worried and there was no support or information. 

"Hopefully people will ask me what the tattoo is and I can explain all about it and the conditions and what she's been through."

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Zara Gabriel/ SWNS.com
Zara Gabriel and her daughter Eleanor

The family are now trying to raise money to build a hydrotherapy spa pool in their garden, as Gabriel said it's the only way for Eleanor to relieve the pain and exercise. 

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