Despite losing part of his hand, former Winnipeg tattoo artist determined to stay positive

WARNING: This story contains details of a severe injury.

Ernesto Romero was trying to turn off a short-circuited table saw when his right hand slipped — a moment that has put his livelihood in jeopardy. 

Working with his hands isn't just a passion for the former Winnipegger, a seasoned hobby carpenter who has spent countless hours working in his woodshop in Mexico — as a tattoo artist, it's also something he depends on.

"The first couple of days … [after] it happened, that's when it was the hardest for me," Romero told host Marcy Markusa in a recent interview with CBC Manitoba's Information Radio.

"I kept thinking, 'How am I gonna tattoo? How am I gonna provide for my family? How am I gonna play guitar?'"

His thumb was cut off in the March 19 accident and his other fingers were severely injured, remaining attached only by the skin on his palm.  

Over the following weeks, Romero and his family found themselves in and out of hospitals as they tried to save his hand. 

Doctors initially wanted to amputate, but during a three-hour procedure, surgeons were able to reattach his four fingers.

Romero is a father of two and the sole provider for his family. Before moving abroad, he lived in Winnipeg, where he worked as a tattoo artist for over 30 years and became well known for his artistry. In recent years, he's spent his winters in Mexico, where he's done tattooing work.

He didn't have medical insurance at the time of the accident, which has become problematic, he said.  

To help pay his medical bills, his older daughter started a fundraiser on the website GoFundMe. Expenses for his hospital care, along with the subsequent physical therapy he will need, "are enough to bankrupt anyone," the online fundraising page says.

As of Thursday, the fundraiser had brought in nearly half of its $50,000 goal.

Watching people from around the world come together to support him has been amazing, Romero said.

'I'm not giving up on my life'

Chris Marshall, the president of the Amputee Coalition of Canada, says while healing is different for everyone, a major challenge faced by most people who suffer a major injury like Romero's is a feeling of losing independence.

Regaining that sense of independence is key to returning to normalcy, he said.

Finding support from family and friends is part of that. But it's also important to create relationships within the community of people who have lost limbs in order to ease feelings of fear, he said.

"It's a very healthy situation to meet those in your community, to see how they've thrived, to see how they've accepted and overcome challenges that they face," said Marshall, who has himself been an amputee for nearly 20 years. The charitable organization he leads provides resources for Canadians who have lost limbs.

"You're not alone. There are people out there that have faced this that can help you through it."

Romero says he's still coming to terms with his injury. His mobility is still limited, but the success of the surgery makes him hopeful.

"I can sit and cry all day, but my thumb, it's not gonna grow back," Romero said. 

Positivity is the key to moving forward with healing, he said — not just for himself, but also for his family. 

Immediately after the accident, Romero ran to his house, next door to the woodshop. His wife and nine-year-old daughter were both home and saw everything.

That's been especially difficult for his daughter, who has been experiencing panic attacks because of it, he said. After he returned home from his first surgery, Romero noticed that she was mirroring his emotions. 

"Every time she sees … that I was a little bit down or a little bit intense, she'll get very, very, very upset as well,"  He said. 

"She's my real reason why I have to be positive — because when I'm good, she is good."

Romero doesn't know how long it will take to regain mobility in his hand. He plans to travel from Mexico to Minnesota for a second surgery later this month.

Romero says the night of the accident, his mind was racing as he tried to piece together an image of what life post-injury would look like, wondering how he would provide for his family and continue doing the things he loves. 

Those questions still exist in the back of his mind, but he has decided to no longer dwell on them — those are questions for the future, he said. 

"I know I'm gonna go back to work. I know I'm not giving up my passion. I'm not giving up my life," Romero said.

"This is just a pause that I have to take. I guess the universe was telling me that I had to take a break … and that's all I can do."