Mark Cropp, from New Zealand, struggled to find work after serving a two-year sentence for a botched drug deal. In jail, heavily intoxicated on homemade alcohol, he and his brother tattooed “Devast8” across his face using makeshift ink from toothpaste and melted plastic utensils.
Upon release, Mark faced the harsh reality of unemployment. His face tattoo made job hunting nearly impossible. “There was a long time where I would devastate everything I touched,” he told the Daily Mail Australia.
Desperate to remove the tattoo, Mark found laser removal too costly. He turned to Facebook, posting a selfie and appealing for a job and a new start. His plea went viral, catching the attention of Sacred Tattoo, an Auckland parlor, which offered free laser removal sessions.
Mark also landed a job at PR Contracting, earning $22 an hour, marking a hopeful new beginning.
