Talented artist thrills sick kids in hospital by spraying temporary tattoos on them

Kids suffering from various ailments spend their days in the hospital wishing they could go back to school or play with their friends. They often get bored and it is just another mundane day in their lives while dealing with doctors, medicines and medical procedures. But one artist from Auckland, New Zealand, has taken it upon himself to brighten up the days of these sweet little kids who are unfortunately stuck in the Starship Children's Hospital.

Benjamin Lloyd, whose Facebook page is titled BenjaminLloydCollection, grabbed eyeballs by giving fake tattoos to sick children which undoubtedly brought a smile to their faces. Instead of using tattoo machines and permanent ink, Lloyd used a special device to spray paint the fake tattoos on the kids. All of his efforts aimed to boost confidence and provide distraction to the kids who are going through a challenging phase in their lives. His innovative approach offered comfort and strength to these young warriors in the hospital.

According to Mirror, Lloyd shared the picture of his first ever airbrushed tattoo job on the son of his friend in 2016. The skull and rose design quickly gained him viral fame online and Lloyd proceeded to approach a local hospital and offered to tattoo the kids who were receiving treatment in the facility. The kids were thrilled to receive tattoos from him as soon as he introduced the idea to them. "The kids are so amazed. As soon as they get the tattoo it boosts their confidence," he said, per the outlet.

"The only bad thing is that they don’t want to take a shower afterward," Lloyd joked. It would take him merely nine minutes to complete a design using stencils and freehand tattooing methods. Keeping in mind the kids' safety and health, he used custom-made non-toxic spray-on ink, which can be easily washed off in the shower. Lloyd stated in one of his posts that the "tattoo art might be temporary but these kids will speak of it forever."

Speaking to Brilio, Lloyd revealed how this idea came to him in the first place and how his personal childhood experience served as a major inspiration behind this initiative. "I was teased every day at school and so I would draw over my hand and up my sleeve. I just got better and better. Eventually, I had a line-up of people wanting me to draw on them, I was doing deals with kids swapping cards and marbles," Lloyd revealed.

This isn't the first time someone has done something wholesome for sick kids in a hospital. Reddit user u/westcoastcdn19 shared a heartwarming video of some window cleaners, who dressed up as notable superheroes and swung by a safety harness to clear the windows of Norton Children's Hospital, delighting the children who can spot them from their wards. 

These little acts of kindness by people like Lloyd are crucial in bringing positive change in the mindset of the ailing kids. It even provides them with a ray of hope so they can continue their fight against life-threatening conditions and chronic illness.