Care home resident fulfils teenage dream by getting tattoo at 77
Helen Allen got the tattoo free of charge at a local tattoo studio.

A resident at a care home has seen her teenage dream come true after getting her first tattoo.
Helen Allen, 77, a resident at Care UKās Foxland Grange home in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, has always wanted a tattoo since admiring one her late partner Keith Mitchell, a biker, had.
Thanks to an initiative set up by the team at Foxland Grange, where a āWishing Treeā was installed which allows residents to suggest ideas for new things they would like to explore, Ms Allenās dream became a reality.
With her design chosen, a small butterfly she has always admired was etched onto her right arm by Garth Cole-Jones, co-owner at Someāink Different, a local tattoo studio in Telford, who offered the service free of charge.
āI donāt know why I didnāt get it done sooner ā or why people say itās painful,ā she said.
āAlthough itās hard to describe the feeling, I wouldnāt call it painful. Garth, the tattooist, made me feel so at ease, and I couldnāt believe how quick it took.
āI thoroughly enjoyed the experience.ā
Chelsea May, director of community relations at Foxland Grange, said that when Ms Allen first brought up the idea of getting a tattoo, āit was a real surpriseā, but also something they ācouldnāt wait to start organisingā for her.
āHere at Foxland Grange, we like to help residents complete lifelong wishes. We encourage residents to dream big and share their hopes and ambitionsā, she added.
āWe hope Helen inspires others to make their dreams a reality, no matter their age.ā
Ms May said that the Wishing Tree at the care home encouraged residents to live fulfilling lives ā from flying a plane to a fish and chip supper, no wish is too big or small.
āI would like to thank tattooist Garth and the team for helping to organise the wish ā this is one butterfly that Helen can keep forever,ā added Ms May.