Volunteers erase scars from dark pasts

Anakaren Ruano, 19, has some of the tattoos that she is in the process of having removed examined by Ronda Petersen, founder of Change in Action and Director of Del Mar Aesthetic Clinic at the clinic Tuesday. photo by Bill Wechter

DEL MAR You wouldnt know it to look at her today, but a quarter-century ago Ronda Petersen was a regular meth user.

In 1989, she walked away from drugs and made a new life for herself. While the San Diego native escaped her former lifestyle with only emotional scars, shes now helping others erase the physical scars that connect them with the darkest chapters of their lives.

Peterson, 47, is the founder of Change in Action, a 5-year-old nonprofit that offers free laser tattoo and scar removal to former sex workers, gang members, drug addicts and others. She runs the shoestring operation out of her office at Del Mar Aesthetic, where she is the director.

Most days, the clinic on Mango Drive serves upscale clients with Botox injections, fillers, peels and laser treatments. But one Saturday every six weeks, clinic owner Dr. Mary Anne Fuchs turns her exam rooms over to Petersen for up to 30 parolees and probationers, who are desperate to erase the stains of their past. Since the program began two years ago, Change in Action has provided more than $80,000 in free services.

Petersen, who holds a degree in human services, said many Change in Action clients have turned their lives around but their tattoos hold them back from finding work, disassociating themselves from gangs and building self-esteem.

Anakaren Ruano, 19, with an image on her cell phone showing partially the extent of the tattoos she is having removed with the help of Change in Action. photo by Bill Wechter

One of those clients is Vista resident Anakaren Ruano, a 19-year-old ex-meth addict whos halfway through a yearlong process to remove five unsightly tattoos that were applied when she was high on drugs.

When its done, I know Ill feel great, said Ruano, a MiraCosta College student. I wont ever have to explain to my future kids what I have on my skin and why.

Petersen said her own story as a teenage drug user is no different from Ruanos or many others. She was self-destructive, trapped in an abusive relationship and her parents didnt see the signs. At age 22, she straightened out her life and dedicated herself to helping other domestic violence survivors.

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Volunteers erase scars from dark pasts