More often than not, most people have an adverse opinion of anyone covered in tattoos. I used to see it happen all the time while spending time with my heavily tatted up, burly biker of a father.
Of course, more understanding individuals know that, like books, you can’t judge a person by how they look. That’s exactly what Matthew Garwood proved while performing a stunning ballad during the blind auditions for The Voice in Australia, and the same goes for the man who offered his talents to help a young man below.
Anjel not only has a sleeve of artwork on his arms, he also designs and applies them to his clients at Anarchy Tattoos & Art Co. in Orlando, FL.
While most would have to wait until their 18th birthday for Anjel to supply them with a unique ink design, a local 12-year-old boy was recently given an amazing gift from the tattoo artist for one special reason.
The tattoo shop’s Facebook page is filled with stunning examples of Anjel’s craftsmanship, like the twisted, haunting tree above.
He’s also pretty handy when it comes to covering up other, less skilled attempts by other artists who should probably be looking for a different career path.
But what really makes Anjel and his crew at the shop truly remarkable is their reputation for kind deeds, like when they gave out free “pulse” tattoos to show support for their community following the awful attacks at a local nightclub club.
Which is why when he stumbled upon this photo shared by Ashley King of her son sporting his back brace, Anjel was inspired to reach out and help.
Despite the sweet smile on his face, King revealed 12-year-old Xavier was actually heartbroken to discover he’d have to continue wearing the brace much longer than they expected in order to combat his scoliosis and pectus.
The young man attempted to hide the restricting plastic under his shirt throughout the previous school year, but it was still noticeable, causing him to be picked on and lose confidence.
Anjel knew he could help Xavier find his confidence again and reached out to the family.
Xavier’s mom Ashley writes in her post, “I’m so touched I just had to share this positive story. My son has scoliosis, and has to wear a back brace until he stops growing. He was getting teased at school, so I put something on Facebook to see if I can make his back brace ‘cool.’ A man named Anjel reached out to me, and he airbrush a design onto his back brace, at no charge. It might not seem like a big deal, but to my son, it’s everything!”
With the amazing shark portrait emblazoned on his torso, Xavier has found a much-needed self-esteem boost just in time for the new school year to begin.
Both Anjel and Xavier deal with misinformed stigmas because of how they look, but when they work together, their true hearts shine brighter than any brace or body modification ever could.
Be sure to SHARE this incredible act of kindness with your loved ones!
When Mixon saw Safley wearing a top that spoke to their shared experience, she had to say something.
“As she passed me I had to speak up. I said I love your shirt!” she wrote on Facebook. “She replied that her husband was hesitant for her to wear it (because people wouldn’t know what it meant).”
Little did he know, women have a bit of a sixth sense, and are usually pretty intuitive about these things.
Mixon wanted to make sure that Safley knew what a powerful message she was sending, and how appreciated it was.
“I then told her it’s so taboo to talk about miscarriages and I was proud of her for wearing it. I told her my story and she told me hers,” she said. “We hugged and said we would keep each other in our prayers! Me for her baby’s continuing good health, and her for me to conceive.”
Mixon concluded her post with a final compliment to the sweet stranger who gave her so much hope.
“She’s such a beautiful woman and mommy!!! A complete stranger… Thank you Autumn for making me and my husband’s day! Please share this so maybe she can see how much she touched our hearts…”
We can’t help but think that this chance meeting was some sort of a sign, and that Mixon will spot her own rainbow on the horizon soon.
If you’re in awe of these two powerful women, make sure to SHARE their story with friends and family!
