Viral
Mom Called A ‘Monster’ By Trolls For Lasering Off Her Baby’s Facial Birthmark
It’s far from what they think!
Six months back, Brooke Atkins welcomed her second child, a baby boy named Kingsley. As soon he was born, the 33-Year-Old and her partner Kewene Wallace, 27, observed a large port wine birthmark covering half of his face. They learned it was harmless, but if on the face, particularly over the eye, it can result in glaucoma and Sturge Weber Syndrome.
Knowing this, Brooke decided to use laser treatment on Kingsley’s mark.
One effective way to treat port wine stain is through laser treatments, and the most effective laser for it is called a Pulsed Dye Laser. The purpose of the treatments is not to remove the birthmark but to keep the skin healthy to prevent further damage to the area. Brooke and her family went through the treatment and are left amazed.
But the choice has since been slammed by trolls on TikTok, who Brooke says called her a monster.
One person in the comments of one of her videos said: “That birthmark is barely visible; what you’re doing to him is horrible. It’s more for you than him.” Another said: “Don’t think I could laser my baby.” A third said: “Brainwashed mother making her kid insecure the second he gets out of the womb.”
Notably, the port-wine stain birthmarks can cause seizures and other disabilities, while glaucoma can cause blindness.
According to Brooke, her son had been diagnosed with both glaucoma and Sturge Weber Syndrome, and the thing with such birthmarks are progressive, meaning they’ll change and darken over time. The mom-of-two further pointed out they can develop a cobblestone look with bumps, ridges, and the risk of vascular blebs, where they bleed.
She insisted: “Once a port wine stain gets to this stage, it is often very difficult to treat, and laser barely has any affect, as the skin is already far too damaged.”
Of the negative comments she has received, Brooke hit back at the trolls: “Honestly, when I first started reading the negative comments, I sat there for a good half an hour and cried to myself. I had a whole heap of mum guilt, and it made me question my decision; even though I knew I was doing the right thing, the cruel words still played in my head. Thankfully for every negative comment, there were 100 positive, so it helped a lot!”
“I just wish these people had known about the health issues connected to these types of birthmarks before writing these things, that this wasn’t for cosmetic reasons and that as parents, this was the hardest decision we have had to make.”
“That the last six months have been extremely hard on us, and reading these comments actually do hurt – this is the last thing we need, judgment from those who have no understanding around my sons’ conditions. Although I constantly worry about my son’s future and what it will be like, he continues to hit all his milestones. “This journey for our family has just started, and there is a long road ahead, but we will push through!”
“Over 20 hospital appointments, two different hospitals, over ten different specialists and doctors, five different medical departments, three MRI’s, one ultrasound, two hearing tests, two operations, two laser treatments and three diagnoses, all in six months – yet he is the happiest, most loving and sweetest boy you will ever meet!”
