Breast cancer survivor Kate Brokate, of Moonta, is on a mission to flash her stunning tattoo

Kate Brokate says she’ll lift her top up to whoever will take a look – to show women they have options after breast cancer, including a beautiful tattoo.

Looking in the mirror is no longer a source of sadness for breast cancer survivor Kate Brokate.

Instead, she will lift up her shirt for whoever is happy to take a look – and she estimates that count is up to about 500 people so far.

After the Moonta woman had a double mastectomy, she decided against a reconstruction, instead having her favourite flowers (jasmine) tattooed over her scar.

“I just want to show people because I think the age group having all these issues wouldn’t even consider a tattoo,” the Moonta woman says.

“And I feel that if I had to go through all that s--t, everybody should have to know about it.”

Mrs Brokate was inspired to share her story after reading an SA Weekend article about psychologist Charlotte Tottman, who posed bare-chested for a story about women’s choices after cancer.

Beautiful survival tactic – Kate Brokate had a bilateral mastectomy because of breast cancer, but a tattoo of her favourite flowers and is incredibly happy with the result. Picture: Simon Cross

Mrs Brokate was 51 when she had her first mammogram, leading to a prompt diagnosis and surgery.

“It was terrifying, and I don’t scare easily,” she says.

The chemotherapy that started about a month after her surgery was incredibly difficult, Mrs Brokate says, to the point where she resorted to a novel way to deal with the stress.

“I walked in with my tutu on and said, ‘bring it on’,” she says.

“I thought, I’m going to cry if I don’t do something stupid.”

The 55-year-old says before her surgery, she had never thought of getting inked.

But when a friend brought the idea to mind, Mrs Brokate set to work thinking about what design she wanted, settling on the artwork with a tattooist at St Peters-based Wolf & Wren.

“People ask if it hurt, and of course it hurts, but someone took my breasts off and put me through chemotherapy, so it’s all a matter of perspective,” she says.

Immediately after the work was complete, Mrs Brokate was stoked with the results, despite her chest being red and puffy from the needlework.

“I thought, ‘Yay, that’s really going to rock my world’.”

Now, she’s making it her mission to share the results with as many people as possible to ensure women know there are other options after a mastectomy.

Motioning to Moonta Bay just down the road, she says, “I walk down there with no top on and lie on the beach”.

“People come up to me and say, ‘That’s a nice tattoo’, and then they realise.

“Now I feel great and I don’t have to wear a bra, ever.”

Mrs Brokate, who plays lawn bowls, hopes to organise fundraisers across the state’s clubs.

“I want to do breast cancer one year and prostate cancer the next year, because I don’t think it’s fair that boobs get all the money – penises should as well.”

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