"For a lot of people, this is the first time seeing a birthmark like hers and that's part of why I enjoy sharing," said the mother.
Nicole Hall's daughter, 13-month-old Winry, was born with congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN), an extremely rare birthmark, which makes her a bit different from other children.
A report by the National Organization for Rare Diseases by Dr. Harper Price of Phoenix Children's Hospital and Dr. Heather Etchevers of Marseille Medical Genetics says that Winry's condition causes light brown to black patches which can appear in many different ways. It could be of any size and appear on any part of the body.
When Hall saw her daughter immediately after giving birth, she was surprised to see a patch on her face. "When they first handed her to me, I thought it was a bruise. It was then quickly apparent to my husband and I that it was not a bruise. And like the name, I thought it looked a lot like a mole," she told Good Morning America.
As unique as her daughter's birthmark is, it also means that there's a potential risk of her developing melanoma, a type of skin cancer. Although the risks are "relative low", Hall is a concerned mother who takes precautions like applying sunscreen to little Winry's skin. Hall makes sure that her daughter has a hat on whenever she's outside and never misses Winry's regular dermatology appointments.
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"Her health and happiness are our top priority. We have to monitor her with sunscreen. I'm careful with hats and that sort of thing. I know our regular dermatology appointment is probably going to be our best friend growing up," said the mother.
But the one thing that worries her the most is the state of her daughter's mental health while she grows up. Hall fears that Winry could be bullied for the mark on her face, and that has prompted her into spreading awareness about CMN, hopeful that this will help others realize that everyone is unique and different.
"For a lot of people, this is the first time seeing a birthmark like hers and that's part of why I enjoy sharing," said the mother. "This is a good conversation for parents with their children to see kids have differences, or for those parents who do have a kid that looks like Winry or has any kind of a birthmark to see their child represented."
The only thing that the doting mother really wants is for everyone to see past her daughter's birthmark and celebrate her for the amazing person that she is. "She just radiates joy. She's almost always laughing or shrieking. She is just the happiest baby I have ever seen," shared Hall.
"She's a big talker already. We haven't got a whole lot of words out, but she tells you like it is and she's already getting a little bit of sassiness, so I think we're gonna have a lot on our hands."
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Cover Image Source: YouTube | Good Morning America
