HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Unzipping her bag unleashes hours of joy to kids who really need a spark.
Perri Sachs, 16, has been leading other groups of teens to Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood. They also go to assisted living centers.
Their mission is to give juniors and seniors lots of love with a thin layer of paint. It's called Sparkles 2 Smiles, a group founded by Sachs when she was 14.
"I really liked painting nails," Sachs said. "I didn't have enough friends that wanted me to paint their nail, so I said, 'OK, whose nails can I paint that I can practice on?'"
She and her friends set up free parties in hospitals and nursing homes, where they paint nails and tattoos, as well as do art projects. Between taking college courses and playing in an orchestra, this is what the teen does in whatever time is left.
"I have friends say to me, 'She needs to be a kid,'" her mother, Valerie Sachs, said. "This is her. It's her being a kid."
In truth, it may be one of the few opportunities these patients have to be kids, too.
"She can't go outside," Cassie Moody said of her sister, who is battling cancer. "But she can get nails done. It's amazing."
Perri Sachs said what moves her most is meeting other teens her same age.
"Going to school every day, I get to hang out with my friends and drive around in my car," Perri Saches said. "The kids sitting here, they should be able to do the same things I can do, but they can't. I know they like having their nails done, but I love coming here."
For teenagers like Caroline Aravalo, 17, nail painting is a small gesture that goes a long way.
"Usually, you (are) not really you're best-looking at the hospital," Perri Sachs said. "This is something pretty (and) gets your spirits up."
Perri Sachs will not accept monetary donations for Sparkles 2 Smiles, but she is accepting nail and art supplies. To donate, connect with her on Facebook.
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