Mother Nicole Lucas Hallson is raising her two children, Asher and Winry, with a mission to prove that our imperfections make us perfect.
Winry was born with a rare birthmark known as congenital melanocytic nevi, or CMN, which covers a fourth of her face. As a result, she looks different from other children.
Nicole, who is a teacher, was shocked when she first saw Winry after her delivery in February 2021. She had a normal pregnancy and didn’t expect her daughter to have a skin condition.
In her blog, she writes about the confusion and worry she felt when she first saw the birthmark, which she thought was a bruise or a mole.
”Some of the excitement of labor had passed, and I would say worry was the main emotion I felt – I recognized that it resembled a mole, but I had never seen anything like it, and I was worried it might be harmful to her. None of the nurses had said anything about it at this point, but I wasn’t sure what to ask so I just held her tight and loved on her.”
The National Organization for Rare Diseases states that CMN can take the form of light brown or black patches and can occur anywhere on the body in any size.
Nicole and her partner want to highlight their daughter’s uniqueness and encourage others to embrace their differences. They take precautions to protect Winry’s skin from the increased risk of developing melanoma but are more worried about her being bullied as she grows older.
Despite her birthmark, Winry is a happy and energetic baby who always brings joy to those around her. “She just radiates joy. She’s almost always laughing or shrieking,” Hall said. “She is just the happiest baby I have ever seen.
Winry is a beautiful and unique baby who is loved and cherished by her parents. Her birthmark is a part of her and makes her who she is. Nicole and her partner are working to spread the message that being different is not something to be ashamed of but rather something to be proud of.