Melissa gave birth to a premature baby who survived three weeks before leaving this world. Her name was Paikea, which is the humpback whale in Maori language, so we were asked for a tattoo of a tribal whale with wings.

We mixed realistic and Polynesian styles and shaped the fins to look like wings as if the whale was flying.

The enata on the fins represent the ancestors that hold her and help her in her flight while tiki hands on the tail are to protect her.

The flax leaves on the body represent family and the shark teeth symbolize protection and adaptability, strength.