Aussie Mum called a ‘monster’ for having her son’s birthmark removed– the full story on the newborn’s dangerous medical condition
- Replies 12
The internet can be a harsh and judgemental place. If you're not careful, it's easy to get caught up in the negativity of the internet. It's important to remember that not everyone online is out to get you, and that there are plenty of people who are willing to help.
Such is the case of a Queensland mother who was labelled a ‘monster' for having her newborn son's birthmark removed via laser, with several social media trolls accusing her of putting her son through pain for aesthetic purposes.
'People thought I was doing this purely for cosmetic reasons and that just broke my heart,' mum Brooke shared as she recalled the heartbreaking experience where she walked out of the operating room in tears as she could not take seeing her son Kingsley cry in agony during the treatment.
'I would never put my kids through something that isn’t medically needed.'
The left half of Kingsley's face is marked permanently by a birthmark called a port-wine stain (PWS).
And while having a birthmark seems normal for most people, Kingsley's condition is fatal — the baby's 'strawberry kiss' is also developing on his brain.
Brooke recalled that when she delivered Kingsley via C-section, the doctor had a worried look on his face.
The mum remarked: 'My partner just told me he was so cute but the doctor was worried about something on his face.'
'But they brought him over to me and I couldn’t see anything.'
Brooke responded to the internet trolls who are calling her out for having her son go through laser treatment to remove his birthmark. Credit: Instagram/@kingsley_calvin.
The mother recalled how confused she was when the doctor immediately requested specialists and scans for Kingsley as the newborn rested on her chest.
Brooke said: '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.'
'I didn’t think anything of it, but they were really worried.'
The family was then brought to the ward, where medical professionals informed them that they believed Kingsley had a PWS.
'It will progress over time, it will darken and could become lumpy,' Brooke shared.
'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.'
'At first, we didn’t care about the birthmark.'
'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.'
The baby’s ‘strawberry kiss’ can spread and grow on his brain. Credit: Instagram/@kingsley_calvin.
As Brooke recovered from the delivery, her partner, Kewene took Kingsley for eye exams, MRIs, and ultrasounds since further testing was required to confirm the diagnosis.
The specialists began to understand the little boy's situation as the week went on.
His once-light facial colouring had darkened, and the left eye that was in the birthmark's centre was cloudy, bloated, and puffy.
His eye test revealed glaucoma, raising concerns about his left eye's vision even though the initial MRI was clear.
The couple admitted: 'It was really, really hard.'
'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.' Brooke added.
Unfortunately, additional scans showed Kingsley had Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS), a very rare vascular condition that results in malformed blood arteries on the brain.
The family was devastated for their young son as the risk of seizures, developmental disabilities, and blindness had now become a reality.
Brooke discovered numerous PWS and SWS Facebook groups when she started looking for advice from leading medical professionals.
After joining the groups, she shared her experience to connect with others going through a similar situation and received an outpouring of support from strangers.
Brooke's new friends came to her aid, recommending a physician who offered laser therapy as a solution.
Despite some claims to the contrary, the treatment is thought to be most helpful when started while a child is under 12 months old.
'Other parents have chosen not to because it is so hard to put your child through it,' Brooke says.
'But then I had read about children who have a port wine stain, and who didn’t get it lasered, who wish they did because they have been bullied.'
However, Kingsley's case is different. His condition made it possible for the disease to potentially spread across the entirety of his face and impair his vision in both eyes.
Laser treatment was medically recommended.
And in just a few months after giving birth, Brooke decided to schedule her son for the procedure.
The treatment was successful and Kingsley was brought back to good health.
But when Brooke posted about the success of the treatment on social media, she received a barrage of negative comments.
'Someone told me to put my son down,' Brooke revealed.
'At first, when I got the comments, I sat there and I cried. They were disgusting.'
'Some people even told me I was an abusive and a bad mother - they [comments] hurt.'
Just a few months after giving birth, Brooke decided to schedule her son for laser treatment. Credit: Instagram/@kingsley_calvin.
Brooke has gotten past the 'keyboard warriors' and is now more concerned with teaching her son to be confident in his own skin.
'I want to build him up to be confident,' she said.
'I want him to be proud of his birthmark.'
Brooke is now working to disarm the trolls hiding in the community.
The mother shared: 'For every one negative comment I get, there are a thousand positive ones.'
'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.'
Brooke's story just proved that a mother's unconditional love for her son is stronger than any hateful words thrown at her by insensitive internet trolls.
We must admit that this heartwarming story brought tears to our eyes. How about you? What are your sentiments about Brooke and Kingsley's journey? Share them with us in the comments below.
Such is the case of a Queensland mother who was labelled a ‘monster' for having her newborn son's birthmark removed via laser, with several social media trolls accusing her of putting her son through pain for aesthetic purposes.
'People thought I was doing this purely for cosmetic reasons and that just broke my heart,' mum Brooke shared as she recalled the heartbreaking experience where she walked out of the operating room in tears as she could not take seeing her son Kingsley cry in agony during the treatment.
'I would never put my kids through something that isn’t medically needed.'
The left half of Kingsley's face is marked permanently by a birthmark called a port-wine stain (PWS).
And while having a birthmark seems normal for most people, Kingsley's condition is fatal — the baby's 'strawberry kiss' is also developing on his brain.
Brooke recalled that when she delivered Kingsley via C-section, the doctor had a worried look on his face.
The mum remarked: 'My partner just told me he was so cute but the doctor was worried about something on his face.'
'But they brought him over to me and I couldn’t see anything.'
Brooke responded to the internet trolls who are calling her out for having her son go through laser treatment to remove his birthmark. Credit: Instagram/@kingsley_calvin.
The mother recalled how confused she was when the doctor immediately requested specialists and scans for Kingsley as the newborn rested on her chest.
Brooke said: '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.'
'I didn’t think anything of it, but they were really worried.'
The family was then brought to the ward, where medical professionals informed them that they believed Kingsley had a PWS.
'It will progress over time, it will darken and could become lumpy,' Brooke shared.
'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.'
'At first, we didn’t care about the birthmark.'
'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.'
The baby’s ‘strawberry kiss’ can spread and grow on his brain. Credit: Instagram/@kingsley_calvin.
As Brooke recovered from the delivery, her partner, Kewene took Kingsley for eye exams, MRIs, and ultrasounds since further testing was required to confirm the diagnosis.
The specialists began to understand the little boy's situation as the week went on.
His once-light facial colouring had darkened, and the left eye that was in the birthmark's centre was cloudy, bloated, and puffy.
His eye test revealed glaucoma, raising concerns about his left eye's vision even though the initial MRI was clear.
The couple admitted: 'It was really, really hard.'
'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.' Brooke added.
Unfortunately, additional scans showed Kingsley had Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS), a very rare vascular condition that results in malformed blood arteries on the brain.
The family was devastated for their young son as the risk of seizures, developmental disabilities, and blindness had now become a reality.
Brooke discovered numerous PWS and SWS Facebook groups when she started looking for advice from leading medical professionals.
After joining the groups, she shared her experience to connect with others going through a similar situation and received an outpouring of support from strangers.
Brooke's new friends came to her aid, recommending a physician who offered laser therapy as a solution.
Despite some claims to the contrary, the treatment is thought to be most helpful when started while a child is under 12 months old.
'Other parents have chosen not to because it is so hard to put your child through it,' Brooke says.
'But then I had read about children who have a port wine stain, and who didn’t get it lasered, who wish they did because they have been bullied.'
However, Kingsley's case is different. His condition made it possible for the disease to potentially spread across the entirety of his face and impair his vision in both eyes.
Laser treatment was medically recommended.
And in just a few months after giving birth, Brooke decided to schedule her son for the procedure.
The treatment was successful and Kingsley was brought back to good health.
But when Brooke posted about the success of the treatment on social media, she received a barrage of negative comments.
'Someone told me to put my son down,' Brooke revealed.
'At first, when I got the comments, I sat there and I cried. They were disgusting.'
'Some people even told me I was an abusive and a bad mother - they [comments] hurt.'
Just a few months after giving birth, Brooke decided to schedule her son for laser treatment. Credit: Instagram/@kingsley_calvin.
Brooke has gotten past the 'keyboard warriors' and is now more concerned with teaching her son to be confident in his own skin.
'I want to build him up to be confident,' she said.
'I want him to be proud of his birthmark.'
Brooke is now working to disarm the trolls hiding in the community.
The mother shared: 'For every one negative comment I get, there are a thousand positive ones.'
'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.'
Brooke's story just proved that a mother's unconditional love for her son is stronger than any hateful words thrown at her by insensitive internet trolls.
We must admit that this heartwarming story brought tears to our eyes. How about you? What are your sentiments about Brooke and Kingsley's journey? Share them with us in the comments below.
.png){kind=icon}
I'm always in a hurry, lucky it's not a serious mistake eg legal paper. And I never ever do a spell check
