A 33-year-old stay-at-home mother named Brooke Atkins recently received criticism on Instagram for subjecting her child to a purported “cosmetic operation.” The mother is from Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, and she and her 27-year-old husband Kewene Wallace have two children: a 2-year-old girl named Amarni and a 6-month-old son named Kingsley. The infant boy was born in January and had a number of health problems, including glaucoma, Sturge-Weber syndrome, and a significant port wine stain that covered half of his face. Although the illness is typically not harmful, if it affects the face or the area around the eyes, it can result in glaucoma, which can result in blindness. Sturge Weber syndrome is a neurological condition that results in seizures and other impairments. The infant was already experiencing both of these problems. Kingsley’s condition was deteriorating as his facial stains darkened over time.
When speaking with a media outlet, Brooke remarked, “They may take on a “cobblestone” appearance, with elevated bumps, ridges, and the potential for severely bleeding vascular blebs. When a port wine stain reaches this stage, it is frequently exceedingly challenging to remove, and laser treatment has little to no effect because the skin has already suffered significant damage.” So, on May 31, the family made the decision to treat the baby’s face using laser therapy. The mother said that using a laser, more especially a pulsed dye laser, is the most efficient technique to remove a port wine stain. The objective of the laser treatments, she clarified, is “to keep the skin healthy, to avoid any future harm to the area,” rather than “eliminate” the abnormality.
When he was first born, Brooke recalled, “we were referred to the dermatology and vascular department at Queensland Children’s Hospital, where they organized the first treatment and further explained why laser would be crucial.” People on TikTok, however, have criticized the mother and branded her a “monster” for selecting this course of action for her child. Don’t think I could laser my baby, one person stated. “The birthmark is barely visible, what you’re doing to him is cruel, it’s more for you than him,” read another comment. Did you deadass laser a baby? a different user said with a grimace. Another remark that read, “Brainwashed mother making her son insecure the second he gets out of the womb,” was made in response.
Some users have, however, also backed the mother. You’re the mom, so you know what’s best for him, said one person. He would have been equally attractive with or without the birthmark, according to another remark. Finally speaking out about the situation, Brooke. She stated: “To be quite honest, I sat there for a good half hour and sobbed to myself when I first started reading the bad comments. Even though I felt I was making the correct choice, I was plagued by a ton of mom guilt, which caused me to second-guess myself. Thankfully, there were 100 nice comments for every one bad one, which was incredibly helpful.”
She continued by saying that the past six months had been difficult for them and that the hurtful remarks had made things worse. They required sympathetic, non-judgemental people. “I only wish these people had understood about the health risks associated to these types of birthmarks before posting these things,” the mother continued. “This was the hardest choice we have ever had to make as parents.”