A mum has told how she received abuse after deciding to laser off her baby’s facial birthmark.
Brooke Atkins, 33, from Gold Coast, Australia, welcomed her baby son Kingsley six months ago.
Not long after he was born, the mum and her partner, Kewene Wallace, 27, notice a maroon facial birthmark covering half of his face.
While they are often harmless, the parents found that the “port wine” mark is associated with life-changing conditions.
But Ms Atkins told the Daily Mail she was branded a “monster” after deciding to remove the mark, a decision she believed would help her son’s quality of life.
Port wine birthmarks, when they develop on the face, are occasionally linked to glaucoma – which causes vision impairment – and Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS).
The latter condition describes abnormal blood vessels that develop below the marks and leave children at risk of strokes.
Kinglsey was diagnosed with both conditions, and mum-of-two Ms Atkins explained that the red mark would only change and darken with time.
The birthmarks can become raised, creating a “cobblestone” appearance categorised by ridging and raised bumps.
The developed bumps also “dangerously bleed”, she added, making them increasingly difficult to treat.
She decided to prevent the complications by treating her son early using laser treatment.
Ms Atkins explained: “When he was first born, we were referred to the Queensland Children’s Hospital dermatology and vascular department, where they organise the first treatment and explain in further detail why laser would be important.
“The purpose of the laser treatments are not to ‘remove’ the birthmark but instead keep the skin healthy, to prevent any further damage to the area.”
The parents are pleased with the results, with pictures showing the mark much reduced.
But trolls have slammed them on TikTok, with Ms Atkins branded a “monster” on the social media platform.
One user commented below a video that they didn’t think they “could laser my baby”, while another said what she had done was “horrible” and “more for you than him”.
The negative comments affected the mum, who said she sat down for half an hour and “cried to myself”.
She was encouraged by hundreds of positive comments, however, and said her family will push through for the “happiest, most loving and sweetest boy you will ever meet”.
