Page 13 - IAV Digital Magazine #461

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Woman, 23, Removes Her Belly Button And Gives it to Boyfriend as Present
A 23-year-old woman removed her belly button and gave it to her ex-boyfriend as a present.
Body modifica- tion fanatic Paulina Casillas Landeros, from Jalisco, Mexico, underwent numerous sur- geries such as a 'back corset' - which involves piercings on either side of the spine - and a split tongue.
She later decid- ed to remove her belly button
as it is "what makes us human" before giving it as a present to her then boyfriend Daniel Ramirez, in 2015.
But following the removal three years ago, she says she ulti- mately regrets her decision describing it as "reckless" and "impulsive".
The HR intern and tourism stu- dent said: "I have always had problems with my family, I was
not very close to them at the time.
"Body modifica- tions fascinated me, there is something very transcending about them.
"I was very angry, I wanted to cut all unions from everything and everyone.
"I wanted to dehumanise myself in a sym- bolic way, I wanted to do something con- troversial.
"I underwent an
'operation' done by a profession- al but he gave me very bad advice on how to take care of the trauma so it got infected.
"I was suffering, I spent days in bed as if I were quarantined, I couldn’t stretch, push, stand up or laugh.
"It gradually healed itself but not 100 per cent - it will never close entirely."
Paulina said she knew she want-
ed to give the body part to Daniel as an ulti- mate token of love.
She said: "I was very much in love with my then boyfriend, he supported me through many difficult times, andheisoneof the most influen- tial people in my life.
"It was some- thing I did in the spur of the moment, we were young and stupid but that’s the way I felt.
"Iputitina small bag along with a note say- ing 'I love you', it was very emo- tional.
"He has kept it and he will keep it forever because he knows the meaning behind it.
"We are good friends now but we will always love each other."
Paulina says her relationship with her family has now improved.
"I do regret it when I put myself in my mum’s position, it must have been devastat- ing for her, she was so sad," she said.
"I can’t imagine how it must feel, your own child wanting to break all their connec- tion to you.
"If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t do it again, it was impulsive, reck- less and I hurt a lot of people.
"Even though I did it for the wrong reasons, it has now taught me I should think things through before acting and it’s a nice reminder that characterises me."
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine