After her own heartbreak, this tattoo artist is helping other moms in rural Jackson County find hope

Emily Radke, tattoo artist and owner of 21 Blooms Studio in Jackson, turned a personal tragedy into an opportunity to support grieving parents in her community. 

The psychological impact of losing a child during pregnancy is often underestimated. 

Women who have experienced a miscarriage have higher levels of anxiety and depression, and meet criteria for post-traumatic stress syndrome, or PTSD.

This is especially concerning for women living in rural areas, who are already experiencing depression at a rate higher than the national average due to barriers they face—including stigma and limited resources. 

“If you’re a woman, it’s almost like that part of life gets shrunk and you just have to move on,” said Emily Radke, tattoo artist and owner of 21 Blooms Tattoo Studio in Jackson. 

“Getting the hope and the light and then it is taken away, and you have to live with that forever—it’s traumatic.”

Radke experienced that trauma firsthand in 2020. While 13 weeks pregnant with her second child, Radke’s doctor was unable to find a heartbeat during a routine appointment. 

“The world just goes quiet, and you’re just in this shock,” said Radke. 

To add salt to the wound, when she asked if there were any support groups or resources available to help her navigate through her situation, her doctor said nothing was available. 

“I left there feeling so alone,” said Radke. 

Shocked and numb, Radke didn’t know where to go after her appointment—other than to the local CVS, to pick up the medication her doctor had prescribed to help her pass the miscarriage. 

At CVS, one of the store employees approached a teary-eyed Radke. Radke vividly remembers the concerned look on the employee’s face as she asked her if something was wrong. 

“I said, ‘I just lost my baby,’ and this woman looked at me and said, ‘Honey, I did, too.’ And I just started bawling my eyes out,” said Radke. 

As the two women embraced each other, Radke had a bittersweet realization—she wasn’t alone. Other women were struggling, too.

Related: Boys do cry: Rural Michigan men are opening up about mental health

Community blooms

When Radke expanded her business, 21 Blooms Tattoo Studio, to its current location on Wildwood Ave, she said she wanted to create a place that was welcoming to everyone—especially clients with kids and families. 

“Every shop that I’ve worked at, they’ve judged families for coming in or for parents coming in with their kids. The biggest part of my life is my family, so I want people to come in and not feel judged,” she said. 

She and her employees have also looked for ways to make the tattoo studio a safe haven for people grieving the loss of loved ones—particularly mothers who have lost children.

“We give a 21% discount for people who want to get tattoos in honor of their baby, or anything that’s connected to motherhood and child loss,” said Radke. See an example of her work here.

Recently, 21 Blooms Tattoo Studio took their commitment to helping their community up a notch—by creating the support group that Radke had longed for after her own loss. The 21 Blooms Maternal Loss Support Group is a monthly, in-person gathering held on the last Friday of the month and moderated by a certified mental health professional, who will give group participants tools and resources for navigating through their grief. 

“I just want people to come in and be real,” said Radke.

The group has also created a Facebook page for parents who have experienced the loss of a child to feel supported by a community. 

“We’re not just a tattoo shop,” Radke said. “We’re a family, and we want you to feel that.”