Luis Perez was 15 when he got his first tattoo: an intricate Aztec calendar on his left calf that was an homage to his ancestors.

“I actually got permission first from my mom,” he said, chuckling. “I know that most teenagers don’t, but my brother was a tattoo artist, and that had a big influence on me.”

Luis comes from a family of artists. He and his brothers grew up drawing, and his aunt in Mexico studied architecture.

For him, art symbolized moments in his life — big milestones and sometimes spontaneous feelings. He decided if he could draw it on paper, he could draw it on skin.

“My tattoos are like a scrapbook of things I’ve gone through and how I’m feeling,” said Luis, who owns Old East Co. Tattoos off North Fitzhugh Avenue in Dallas. “More than anything, it’s a way for me to be myself.”

Last fall, Luis combined his passion for tattooing and classic cars (he owns a 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass and 1963 Chevy Impala that he cruises around the city) to host a fundraiser benefiting patients at Children’s Health℠. Attendees paid a fee to attend the car show and tattoo artists — including his friends at Controversy Ink, a tattoo shop in Northwest Dallas — donated their time to give community members tattoos.

The event raised about $2,200 to help fund pediatric cancer research at the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Health.

A leader in patient care, treatment, research and training in pediatric oncology and hematology, the Gill Center brings national and international expertise through its affiliation with UT Southwestern and the Harold C. Simmons Cancer Center, setting it apart from other sites for pediatric cancer care in the region.

From common blood disorders, such as sickle cell anemia, to the rarest forms of cancer, the Gill Center continues to offer comprehensive evaluations, innovative treatments, long-term care and access to the latest clinical trials.

Philanthropic gifts from donors like Luis will continue to be essential in affording our hospital system the ability to expand cutting-edge medical treatments and care programs to meet the unique and wide-ranging needs of families we serve now and in the future.

Luis plans to host the event again in October to celebrate his birthday. He’s watched friends navigate cancer journeys and has inked clients with tattoos to commemorate their own cancer experiences.

“Children are the future, and we have Children’s Health, an incredible place in our community, to take care of kids as they face one of the toughest challenges anyone can go through,” said Luis, who has three teenagers. “I wanted to help in any small way that I could to give these families a little bit of hope.”