By Ben Wheeler
MEET the stunning alternative tattoo model whose battle against bone cancer in her early teens left her with a stiff leg for almost a decade and a half, bravely choosing to have the limb amputated last year.
Images show Lisa Scheer, 26, from Duisburg, Germany as a child before she was struck by the crushing news that she had developed bone cancer whilst more recent photos show a very different-looking Lisa, complete with tattoos and piercings, displaying her new-found confidence despite the loss of the bottom half of her right leg.
After being diagnosed with bone cancer as a 12-year-old, Lisa underwent two years of gruelling chemotherapy and surgery to fight and remove deadly tumours, but was left with a non-functioning right leg following major surgery to remove her cancerous femur and tibia, which were replaced by an endoprosthesis.
“I was still too young to really understand what was going on, so I did what I was told in order to survive,” Lisa recalls.
“After two years of chemotherapy and plenty of suffering, especially for my parents and family I was classified as cured after the femur and tibia surgery.
“I may have been cured from the wretched cancer but marked for life by a knee that was completely stiff after the surgery.
“So, aged fourteen I went back out into the world, but everything was different. I experienced mean classmates, constant teasing and bullying but it all made me harder and more self-confident.
“However, I never came to terms with my fate, I hated my leg, it just wasn’t me. The scar was deep and tough, the joint stiff and immobile as if it was glued together from the inside.
“All I wanted was to be a normal child again, living a normal life, but that wasn’t going to happen.
“Things got better as I got older and wiser, I learned a trade, made friends, went out partying and dancing and found the love of my life.
“But there was still nothing the doctors could do except for pointing out how well I was managing. I just couldn’t accept things as they were, I had desire to do so much more in my life that wasn’t possible with my stiff leg, I wanted more out of life than just managing and getting by.”
Lisa went on to discuss her amputation and how her life has changed in the year since her procedure.
“It was a risky procedure and I had to chance my life, but it was the only option for me to have a better quality of life,” she said.
“I was so happy, after fourteen years of waiting I felt almost reborn. It was a long way back to normality as it was such a big change and took me a time to recover from such a big surgery.
“The amputation has made some things a little more complicated, but many things are better now.
“I get really good reactions and good vibes from everyone about my leg and a lot of respect from people around the world which I think is beautiful.
“My handicap has also opened up new opportunities for me as a model and I’m unique in that there aren’t any tattoo models that I know of that have an amputation!”
Finally, Lisa opened up about her unique look and modelling career, whilst also providing her own unique thoughts on beauty.
“I got into modelling four years ago when I went along to a photoshoot with my little cousin and instantly fell in love with it,” she said.
“When I was younger I was a punk girl and later a metal fan so that scene has massively influenced my unique look.
“I’ve already lost count of my tattoos but it’s a big project that I won’t stop working on until I’m tattooed all over my body.
“I love my look because I’m myself so if I think something is cool or beautiful I go for it. I think everyone is beautiful and unique in their own way, everyone should love themselves as if you love yourself it radiates your beauty.”
