A MOTHER has had a portrait of her late son tattooed on her arm using ink mixed with his ashes.

Lisa Richmond had the portrait of Ayden, who died aged two, inked on to her arm along with the words ‘my son will walk with me forever’.

As we reported last week, her husband Mark was originally due to have the tattoo.

Mrs Richmond stepped in when he was advised to pull out on medical grounds. Mrs Richmond, aged 31, said: “It’s absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful. I felt very emotional. I was welling up. It was hard just taking the ashes out of the box.”

She said: “The ashes are part of me now. Before he was born, Ayden was inside me. He’s now passed away but he’s back inside me with his ashes in my arm. It’s meaningful to me.”

Ayden died in 2005 after being born with a series of health problems, including a rare genetic disorder that prevented him breaking down body fats. Mrs Richmond’s husband, a tattooist, created the portrait at the couple’s Gods of Ink studio in Barbourne Road, yesterday. The event was filmed for a documentary.

Mr Richmond, 39, plans to have the portrait inked on to his chest after Christmas. The studio will open this Saturday.