A SELFLESS woman has had the names of 100 strangers tattooed on her arm – to raise money for charity.
Jess Griffiths had 101 names inked on her arm to raise money for charity[CATERS]Jess Griffiths, 24, spent seven painful hours in a tattoo parlour getting the names inked on to her left arm.
She asked people to donate money to secure a space on her arm in order to fundraise for Ty Olwen Hospice in Swansea.
The mother of two asked for a minimum donation of one pound per name but raised an impressive £611.
The names ranged from stillborn children to lost mothers and fathers or even pets.
Jess, from Gorseinon, South Wales, said: "The names are not just names - they are the stories of people who are loved and cared about and a memory of their lives.
"The purpose of the tattoo is to raise as much money as possible for charity but I also want it to be an opportunity to permanently memorialise a loved one that has been lost.
"I wanted to help other people after support from others when I was suffering with depression."
The names of seven children who passed away at a young age appear on Jess' arm, including her own baby sister Natasha, who died aged just five days old because her intestines were wrapped around all her main organs.
Jess was still smiling despite seven excruciating hours [CATERS]The names are not just names - they are the stories of people who are loved and cared about and a memory of their lives
Other children included are Phoenix, who was extremely premature, and Megan, who was stillborn.
Jess said: "There's a name on my shoulder, Megan Bridle, and of all the stories that were submitted hers got to me the most.
"Her mother lost her daughter, Megan, who was still born in 2002.
"She said she misses her daughter every second of the day - and the tattoo proves she was "a somebody"."
Also named on Jess' arm are people honoured by friends for going through a tough time.
She explained: “Saera Cole, who is now on my forearm, got told that her young son was going to die - he was told he wouldn't make it to a month.
"She fought for him and never gave up and he came through it and is now a perfectly healthy two-year-old."
The names are not just from Britain though, as donations arrived for Jess' fundraising campaign from all over the world.
Jess said: “A breast cancer survivor in Massachusetts, USA couldn't get a tattoo on her left arm from the effects left from her Lymphedema - so she had her name tattooed on mine instead.”
The mum of two raised £611 for the Ty Olwen hospice [CATERS]Jess even has the names of two dogs tattooed on her arm who were one submission's childhood friends.
She said: "The lady who gave the donation said just hearing the names Binnie and Belle takes her back to her childhood with her parents - so the names are really important to her."
Although many would be slightly off put at the thought of such large and prominent tattoo, kind-hearted Jess is happy with the finished product.
She said: "Some of the stories are heartbreaking and I'm terrified of ever getting any cuts or scars on my arm because I'd feel like I was hurting someone's memory.
"I'm so proud to carry these people's memories and stories with me for the rest of my life, I want to make myself the best person that I can be so I can do their memories justice.
"I wanted to do something unusual for Ty Olwen Hospice that would raise a lot of money."
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