Don’t give up. Knock down walls and break those doors down. Those were the words of Desiree Cornet-Wile when asked what advice she has for young women on a journey into the world of tattoos and piercing.
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Cornet-Wile and her husband, Scott, have been together for 17 years. They’ve been the proud owners of Lloydminster’s Dark Hour Ink for 16 years and have two children, London, 9, and Griffin, 7.
When the couple got together in 2008, Cornet-Wile was a single mother to her four-year-old son, Jayden. He was her world, and her world came crashing down on June 20, 2019, when Jayden lost his life to suicide at age 15.
“I can honestly say, losing a child drives you crazy; emotionally, mentally, physically, in every aspect of the word,” she said.
“I never, ever want anyone to walk a day in my shoes because I don’t want anyone to have to feel this.
“In the last six years, I’ve completely died and had to recreate myself.”
Four years before losing her son, Cornet-Wile lost her father, Lionel.
“Losing dad in 2015, we got to see how much Lloydminster rallies,” she said. “Sometimes you don’t see that until somebody passes away.
“You also don’t get to see the full potential of what you’ve put into a community until you need it. When we saw Lloydminster rally, we thought, ‘What can we do as a family to rally back?’ ”
Whether it was a $10 meal, a jug of milk or a bag of dog food, Cornet-Wile knows a little can go a long way for someone struggling or forgetting to take care of themselves.
“As a community member and someone who can help, when we got into business, our forte was always wanting to help and turn this industry into a family-oriented one because this industry has a stigma around it,” she said. “Whatever it is, we want to help people.
“I love it because that’s what Jaden did, and I instilled that in him without even realizing it.”
Since his passing, Jaden has been memorialized with the Jaden Cornet Memorial Award at E.S. Laird Middle School. The award is given to a student who embodies what Jaden did for others through giving back.
Over the years, Dark Hour Ink has also done its fair share of giving back. Most recently, Cornet-Wile’s mission to pay it forward came in the form of a flash tattoo event after resident Dalonna Jones passed away.
“That event was beautiful,” she said. “I grew up with Dalonna, and before the event, none of her family members had tattoos, and now they all do.
“Those types of events are a way our industry can bring people together, which I think is amazing.”
Born in Edmonton, Cornet-Wile’s family lived in Kindersley and Leduc before settling in Lloydminster.
Like many Border City youth, she wanted out. After becoming a mom, however, she wanted nothing more than to raise her family here, as her family did.
“As an adult, when you want to raise a family, don’t forget Lloydminster. It’s a nice place to raise a family because of the togetherness,” she said.
Growing up, Cornet-Wile’s father, Lionel, worked in the oilfield and sales. She was taught to always open doors for others and give up her seat to seniors if the opportunity arose.
“My dad was part of the OTS and sales. That put in him in the community. Growing up, we were taught to represent him and our family when we left the house,” she said. “That’s what I’m trying to instill in our boys.”
Although not always easy, being a role model for the younger generation is important to Cornet-Wile. She believes men and women have their roles in society. At the end of the day, however, we’re all human.
“Men and women were made to do different things in this world, but they can do the same things as each other with different strengths and weaknesses,” she said.
“I love men, and I love what men can do, but the world would cease to exist without females. Period. Sometimes it’s hard to remember what a woman can bring to the table. You’ve got all these strong male figures, but guess what, they come from a mom.
“Moms can be doctors; moms can be surgeons. Women can be plumbers and welders and pipefitters.”
In short, do whatever makes you happy because the only person who can stop you from pursuing your dreams, is you.
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