Mothers will do anything for their children to prevent them from any form of suffering. However, sometimes their efforts are misconstrued by onlookers who do not understand the context. One mother was labeled as a “monster” for getting laser treatment to remove her baby’s birthmark that covers his face. Some people thought she was doing it for vanity’s sake, but there were more complicated reasons behind her actions.
Baby’s birthmark, or something more serious?
Brooke and her partner, Kewene, live in Queensland, Australia with their baby boy, Kingsley. When he was but a few months old Brooke decided to book a laser treatment for her son. After documenting it online, she was labeled as a “monster” for making her son endure such a notoriously painful treatment. However, the public was unaware of the real reason behind this mother’s actions. “People thought I was doing this purely for cosmetic reasons and that just broke my heart,” Brooke says. “I would never put my kids through something that isn’t medically needed.”
Little Kingsley was born with PWS (Port-Wine Stains), which is a maroon-color birthmark on the left side of his face. The baby’s birthmark is not as simple as discolored skin. According to the doctors, it is growing on his brain as well. Brooke recalled the worry she felt when the doctors started calling specialists to take some tests almost immediately after his birth. “I thought maybe it was just a bruise from where they pulled him out but she told me they didn’t touch anywhere near there,” Brooke says. “I didn’t think anything of it, but they were really worried.”
Kingsley had a PWS
Brooke and her partner were not concerned about their baby’s birthmark, and that it covered most of his face. But, they were concerned about the effects of the PWS. “At first we didn’t care about the birthmark,” said Brooke. “But then they started explaining he could have seizures and could be blind. My heart just sank. When they (doctors) walked out, I instantly started crying.”
“It’s extra blood vessels that have been brought to the surface, so if he scratches his face he will need to go to the hospital to stop the bleed,” said Brooke, explaining the effects of the PWS. Kingsley’s facial discoloration got worse quite rapidly. It went from being a faint color to a dark red mark. It became clear to the doctors when his eye started swelling that it was affecting the vision in his left eye.
Kinglsey stood the chance of losing vision in both eyes if the PWS spread any further. Moreover, he was prone to seizures. “You see all of these mums with their babies saying, ‘Look he smiled’. And I am here just worried about whether my son will have seizures and be blind“. Seeing as there was so much at stake, the doctors medically recommended the laser treatment to reverse their baby’s birthmark.
Judgment of a mother
Brooke decided to post the progress of her baby’s birthmark removal. However, that unleashed a world of judgmental comments from strangers who perceived Brooke’s actions as vain, and cruel. One comment read: “This is literally torture. You should have done more research. There are other ways of helping it fade that are WAY safer and don’t hurt.”
Another person echoed that sentiment and wrote: “Oh my Jesus Christ,” they exclaimed. “How can you do that to him?” Lastly, another person wrote: “I think this is just wrong, they should wait until he is 18 and can decide for himself if he wants it removed or not.”
Brooke said the trolls who judged her actions truly hurt her feelings. Although, she now works tirelessly to teach those who are unaware about PWS and the effects it has on babies. “And almost every day I am thanked by other parents or people with port-wine stains for speaking – and that makes it all worth it.”