A care home in Hamilton pulled out all the stops this week, offering their residents the chance to get inked.
After the residents at Avonbridge Care Home discussed regret at having never braved the tattooist's chair, care workers took it upon themselves to make their dreams come true.
Eileen MacIntyre, 78, told workers at Avonbridge it was one of her unfulfilled fantasies - and it didn’t take the activities team long to sort that out.
Local tattoo parlour Cherry Pie Tattoo and Piercing were happy to pitch in, bringing their services to the care home for a mock parlour complete with a board of designs and an ‘Avonbridge Tattoo Studio’ sign.
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Although no one went under the needle this time for a permanent statement piece, delighted Eileen is considering it as she loves her temporary tat so much.
She said: “I was really surprised when I walked into the room to see that Kelly and the team had set up a corner to be like our very own tattoo shop.
“I did get a little bit emotional when she said she had done it all for me, and had even worked with a proper tattoo artist to make a temporary design for me. She really listened to me and captured everything we had talked about.
“Every time I see it, I think of my family, which is what it’s all about - I might have to look into getting a proper one now!”
Eileen opted for a picture of Tinkerbell on her arm, adding that memories of watching Disney films with her grandchildren led her to that choice. After looking at the finished work, she told workers: “If I was ever going to get one, I’d get Tinkerbell with my name on it.”
She was so delighted with the tattoo that she left the chair with two more, and a big smile on her face.
Kelly O’Neill, activities coordinator at Avonbridge, said: “Eileen spotted some of our team’s tattoos and was asking what they meant and if they had hurt. After a long conversation with some of our more colourful carers she admitted she’d always wanted one but had been too scared.
“Over a few different chats, she told me she wanted something that reminded her of her children and grandchildren. We settled on Tinkerbell, which reminded her of watching Disney films with them. It’s also a bit of a nod to never growing up and always having fun.
“After that I got in touch with the team at Cherry Pie and they jumped at the opportunity to create a temporary transfer to make her wish come true.
“The tattoo parlour gained a lot of interest, and lots of residents and staff got involved.
“It’s amazing how much fun we had with some simple stick-on tattoos. It sparked a lot of conversation with residents telling us about their own tattoos, and memories of friends and family’s tattoos and what they want.”
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