Corinna Douglas, who lives at Care UK’s Bickerton House on Warfield Road, fearlessly got her first tattoo – which came with a surprise from her son.
Throughout her life, Corinna has not been a fan of tattoos but slowly came to admire their beauty. She lives with dementia and decided she wanted to do something radical and brave, and that came in the form of a vibrant hummingbird above her ankle.
Corinna said:
I really wanted a tattoo, I want to do something I would usually be scared of and make me feel young again
She mentioned her wish to her care home team members, who found local parlour Inkfusion Tattoo Studio in Wokingham and booked an appointment.
Corinna wanted a design that reminded her of the great love she has for her children. To make the experience even more special, her son Stephen surprised her by getting a matching tattoo, and they landed on the avian design.
Corinna said:
I was really excited to get a tattoo with my son although I wanted him to react a bit more, he didn’t even flinch!
I won’t lie, it wasn’t not painful. But I am really proud that I went through with it; now my son and I are twins!
Corinna’s tattoo trip was made possible thanks to the home’s Wishing Tree initiative, which enables residents to put forward their desire to revisit old hobbies and passions or try something completely new. Whether it’s a fish and chip supper, a skydive or watching a football match, no wish is too big or too small for the team to try to grant.
Michael Pallister, Home Manager at Bickerton House, said:
When Corinna told us about her wish to get a tattoo, it was a real surprise and something we didn’t expect! But we couldn’t wait to start organising it for her.
Age is just a number, and we believe you’re never too old to tick items off your bucket list, even when they’re a little out of the ordinary. We hope Corinna inspires others to make their dreams a reality too, no matter their age.
I would like to thank Lee and Jade at Inkfusion Tattoo Studio and our activities team for helping to organise the trip. This is such a meaningful experience that will – quite literally – stay with Corinna forever!
Bickerton House has been designed to encourage residents to lead active and fulfilling lives and remain as independent as possible in a safe environment. The state-of-the-art care home provides full-time residential, nursing and specialist dementia care, as well as short-term respite care, and features a pub, cinema and hair and beauty salon.
