Mom Who Lasered Son's Birthmark Defends Herself From Criticism Online
She has her reasons.
Instagram An Australian mother has been on the receiving end of backlash after having a birthmark on her son's face removed.
TikToker, Brooke Atkins, has been proudly sharing her son, Kingsley, and his heath journey but became the subject of online trolling after revealing the treatment her son was undergoing.
The mom was slammed for lasering a birthmark on her baby's face.
Upon seeing Atkins' video about Kingsley’s first laser treatment at a skin clinic, viewers were appalled by the mother's action — but misunderstood the reality of the situation.
“The doctor went through the process with us and I had to leave but even in the waiting room I could hear him screaming and I had to leave the whole clinic bawling my eyes out,” Atkins said of the experience.
One user wrote, “I think this is just wrong. They should wait until he’s 18 and can decide for himself if he [wants] it removed or not.”
Another user wrote, “I understand why you would want to do it but I couldn't do this especially when the [birthmark] isn't hurting him at all, it's purely aesthetic reasons.”
But Atkins was quick to defend her actions, putting critics in their place.
The mother explained that her baby’s birthmark can cause health issues.
Atkins mentioned that the birthmark covering Kingsley’s face is called a port-wine stain birthmark. She further mentioned that these birthmarks don’t fade or disappear, instead, they darken over time and can also cause numerous health concerns.
She said, “The younger they are, the better it is to start the laser because it is fresher on their skin and it is less stubborn. Over time, it will become more stubborn and will need more sessions in the future.”
Atkins also addressed the fact that she didn't do this for aesthetic purposes.
She said, "I think he's the most beautiful boy in the whole entire world. There's no doubt about that...if I didn't know what a port-wine stain would do to a person, then I would leave it on his face."
She also further mentioned that the decision to laser the birthmark wasn’t made on a whim. The mom did thorough research about and gave it much thought.
Port wine stains can lead to facial deformities, glaucoma and neurological issues over time if not treated, hence the mother's decision.
"So maybe you understand a bit better now into why we started the process of the laser treatment and unless you have a child that has a port-wine stain birthmark search weber's syndrome and glaucoma," Atkins said.
"You have no right to leave these kind of comments."
Sanika Nalgirkar is a News & Entertainment Writer based in Seattle. She has a master's degree in Creative Writing. See more of her writing on her website.