He was able to put his troubled teen years behind him and become a productive member of society. But what he couldn't put behind him was the glaring evidence of his past - the telltale symbols on his arms. He told me they were related to his former gang membership, and that he was losing his job because of them. He said he didn't have the money to get them removed. Cabbabe developed a network referral from state, county and city programs of teens who were in custody or in rehabilitation.
Some parents move away to get their kids away from gang influence.
I feel I can do this little thing to help those parents and their children make a fresh start. In 1995 Cabbabe launched his program, with donations from churches and individuals paying for the rental of laser equipment for one day every two months. He donates his own time and talents, treating as many as 24 patients in one day. Removal takes from one to eight treatments, and it's painful. The laser breaks the pigment into smaller particles, which the body's natural cleaning methods eventually remove.