Vienna Rose Brookshaw was born with a birthmark. It wasn’t just any birthmark, but a specific type of skin condition known as congenital melanocytic nevi. Although her parents loved every bit of their daughter, they worried about whether or not she would be bullied in life. As a result, they had a difficult decision to make, one that certainly caused a lot of controversy.
When Vienna was born with a large birthmark on her forehead, and between her eyebrows, her mom, Celine, worried that she may have somehow been responsible for the rare occurrence and immediately sought help getting the birthmark removed. Because this kind of procedure is often considered cosmetic, insurance wouldn’t cover it. Celine and her partner Daniel were determined to prevent their baby from being ridiculed. “We went out daily with her, and we got a few stares.” She disclosed. She also worried that Vienna might one day resent her and Daniel for not taking action when she was little.
The Birthmark Causes Conflict
The pair were concerned about the future of their baby girl’s mental health and turned to crowdfunding for help. Within 24 hours, they’d reached their $52,000 goal but then needed to raise an additional $27,000 to keep up with the cost of inflation. Finally, they had the money they needed to afford the hotels and hospital visits but faced yet another challenge. The surgeon refused to perform the operation, believing it should be Vienna’s choice when she was old enough. Fortunately, the birthmark wasn’t cancerous. Nor was it a threat to Vienna’s health. Nonetheless, Daniel and Celine openly expressed the desire to have their daughter’s birthmark removed and their dissatisfaction regarding the medical team’s decision not to do so.
“We love seeing her grow on her journey, and we can’t wait for the day that she does grow up and can speak for herself so we can hear her opinion, we’d love her no matter what, even if we did keep the birthmark.” Explained Celine.
After some time, Celine and Daniel were able to get their baby the operation in order to remove her birthmark. The surgery was a success. However, the family still had more hurdles to overcome. They would spend the next several months traveling back and forth to have follow-ups, ensuring that Vienna’s birthmark scar wasn’t becoming infected, or a threat to her health.
An Outpouring of Love
Fortunately, she hasn’t had any trouble thus far. Moreover, she’s received an outpouring of love and support from her more than 45,000 Instagram followers. “What a brave angel Vienna is!!” Gushed one follower on a photo of Vienna, pre-surgery. “She’s going to have such a better life and easier growing up like that.” Supportively shared another. A third exclaimed, “She was a beauty before, and now!” While a final person commented, “She will highly appreciate this when growing up, good job!”
The birthmark, a skin lesion known as a congenital melanocytic nevus, affects 1 in every 20,000 newborns. A noticeable birthmark or mole typically forms at birth or within the first few weeks of a baby’s life. It can, in many cases, have an “excess of hair growth” in addition to appearing as a dark spot or mole. According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, moles are relatively common and rarely are a cause for concern regarding possible health complications. However, it’s important to follow up with a dermatologist just to be sure because there are some rare cases in which a condition called neurocutaneous melanosis, can occur.
Vienna was a happy baby, with a brave soul for undergoing such an invasive procedure. Although her parents made the decision to remove her birthmark for her, they do understand the public’s concern regarding Vienna’s autonomy. However, they’ve move forward with making the decision they feel is best for their little one. Today, she is happy and healthy, and her scar has healed well, and will likely continue to fade over time.