A few weeks prior to her 94th birthday, AnnaMarie stunned staff members at Dickinson’s CountryHouse Residence when she revealed that all she wanted for her birthday was a chance to get her first tattoo.
“Well, I had to join the rest of the crowd. That’s why I had the tattoo,” shared AnnaMarie Oppegard.
Staff at the North Dakota home always go above and beyond to meet the needs of those in their care, so after gaining approval from AnnaMarie’s family and her doctor, they knew that they could make her dream a reality.
While there are seemingly no limits to tattoo creativity in 2021, AnnaMarie opted for some traditional ink in the form of a small blue love heart on her right forearm.
“At first it’s a little bit scary, but after they get started – well, it’s done before you can think any more about it. So, I don’t mind at all. In fact, I think my grandkids are going to love it,” shared AnnaMarie.
The entire process – including preparation – only lasted for 10 minutes.
Wilson, a Life Enrichment Coordinator at CountryHouse, said it’s important to help make these wishes come true for their residents.
“Fulfill their dreams and just keep them happy and keep them involved in the community and just keep them going. And so anytime anyone mentions something they always wanted to do it’s a goal to make it happen,” shared Wilson.
AnnaMarie revealed that she can’t wait to boast about her new ink to family members and friends. She also noted that she was one of the last members of her family to get a tattoo
