A 78-year-old Lanarkshire care home resident got the chance to make her dream of getting a tattoo come true.
A temporary tattoo studio popped up at Avonbridge Care Home in Hamilton last week, offering residents the chance to ‘get inked’ after Eileen MacIntyre expressed regret at never braving the tattooist chair.
For her, it was an unfulfilled lifelong fantasy. But, thanks to the home’s activities team and local tattoo parlour Cherry Pie Tattoo and Piercing, she got the chance to live her dream – albeit temporarily.
Eileen sat down for a proper consultation at the pop-up studio and decided on getting a Tinkerbell tattoo with her name on it.
She was delighted with the result after choosing a design that reminded her of her children and grandchildren enjoying Disney films when they were younger.
Eileen 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 exactly what 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!”
The event proved popular in the care home with all the residents joining in the fun and getting inked.
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 the 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 a Tinkerbell fairy design, which reminded her of enjoying Disney films with them when they were young.
"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 via Facebook and they jumped at the opportunity to create a temporary transfer to make her wish come true.”
The team at the home set up a mock tattoo parlour, complete with a board of designs and an ‘Avonbridge Tattoo Studio’ sign, before surprising Eileen with her custom design.
Kelley added: “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 meant.”
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