Tattoo artist gives unexpected gift to teen with dyslexia who is learning to drive: 'This is awesome'

Sometimes little acts of kindness change people's lives in a big way. Amanda Morris was anxious as she was finding it hard to find a tattoo artist who could do two tattoos for her teen daughter who was diagnosed with dyslexia in third grade, reports TODAY. 

The learning disorder makes tasks like reading difficult and Alexis found it hard to differentiate her left from right. Morris explained that her daughter "would quite often" draw an "L" on her left hand and an "R" on her right. She added that Alexis wanted something more permanent from a young age.

Once Alexis started learning to drive, Morris agreed to her getting tattoos signifying her left and right and started contacting local tattoo shops. But even with the simplest design, the shops quoted a high amount. "I had called around to so many different shops and they all said it would be between $100 and $150, which I thought was ridiculous," said Morris.

Thankfully, she found Ambitious Ink, whose owner is Scotty Jr Thompson, in Frankfurt, Kentucky. She sent him a message. "My daughter is 16 and has severe dyslexia and can't tell her left from her right, so she's wanting just a small L on the left hand and a small R on her right," Morris wrote to Thompson. "I'm being quoted $100 - $150 everywhere I call. How much would you do this for?" Morris was shocked by Thompson's response. He said, "How about free." The mother couldn't be happier but wanted to pay "a little something" for his time.

Thompson, who learned tattoo artistry from his father, was upset to know that the other shops were charging so much. "I take pride in being the everyday man's tattoo artist," Thompson shared. "I grew up not having 200 extra dollars to spend on a tattoo, so when I saw her mother say she just got her permit and had trouble telling difference... I knew I was going to just give it to her."

Alexis finally got her tattoo done with full parental consent at 16. Morris shared that although Alexis was nervous, Scotty was "incredible." "He walked her through everything he was going to do step-by-step and he even asked her many times if she was sure that’s what she wanted," she said. What matters the most is that the tattoos made a huge difference in Alexis's life. Morris shared that during tattooing, Scotty kept asking Alexis if she was OK and if she liked it. "We can’t say enough good things about Scotty and the environment."

Scotty later posted on Facebook about the tattoos he did for Alexis. He wrote, "She came and we did it for free and a hug!! This right here is why I love tattooing, forget the money, forget the popularity, THIS right here is why god blessed me [with] this skill. 150, [what is] wrong with people. I’ll do it for free fifty how bout that." 

Many on social media appreciated Scotty for his kindness. Facebook user Lisa Heath commented, "That's how you know a business loves and appreciates their customers. This is awesome." Sami Hone wrote, "Absolutely amazing!! I love that this kindness still exists in the world."

"You are so amazing for doing this! The world needs more people like you!" expressed Macy Leigh Sowell. The post went viral with more than 29k shares and 23k likes. However, Scotty shared that online attention was never his intention. It was just about doing the right thing. "It made me think that my purpose on earth is a lot bigger than just tattooing and making money," he said. "I want to help people heal."