Every one of us is born uniquely special and undeniably beautiful in our own way. One of the most breathtakingly wonderful aspects of being human is that no two of us are exactly alike, and as time passes, we as a species are becoming far better at accepting and celebrating our differences.
Nicole Lucas Hallson is the mother of two beautiful children, Asher and Winry. But she is also on a bigger mission to prove that we are perfect because of our flaws, and she wants to reassure her baby daughter, who was born with a rare birthmark, that she is beautiful just the way she is.
According to Good Morning America, Winry Hall was born with a birthmark known as congenital melanocytic nevi, or CMN.
As a result of the rare birthmark that covers a fourth of her face, Winry, at 13 months old, does not resemble the other children.
Nicole, a teacher, was concerned and surprised when the nurses handed Winry over to her after the birth in February 2021.
She had a pretty normal pregnancy and didn’t expect her daughter to have a skin condition.
”I was lucky to have a pretty average pregnancy! I had morning sickness from about weeks 8–14, but as soon as that let up I felt great until the tiredness kicked in the last month,” she wrote on her blog.
According to Nicole, the CMN was most likely discovered by doctors and nurses. But other than cheers and congratulations for such a quick and smooth delivery, they said nothing.
They also assured Nicole that Winry’s vitals were normal.
Nicole began to look at Winry after she had nursed her newborn daughter for a while. At first, Winry’s mother mistook the large mark on his head for 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,” Nicole says.
In her blog, Nicole has described her feelings.
”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.”
According to the National Organization for Rare Diseases, CMN can manifest as light brown or black patches that can grow to almost any size on any part of the body.
Nicole and her partner now want to emphasize their daughter’s uniqueness in order to encourage others that being a little different is something to be proud of, not ashamed of.
“For a lot of people, this is the first time seeing a birthmark like hers and that’s part of why I enjoy sharing,” Hall said.
“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.”
Given that Winry’s birthmark could put her at an increased risk of developing melanoma (skin cancer), her parents take precautions to protect her skin. Nicole, though, said that she’s more worried that her daughter will encounter bullying when she grows older.
“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,” Hall explained to Good Morning America.
“I know our regular dermatology appointment is probably going to be our best friend growing up.”
As for how Winry sees the world, she’s a happy, energetic little girl without a care in the world. In short, she’s everything a baby should be.
“She just radiates joy. She’s almost always laughing or shrieking,” Hall said. “She is just the happiest baby I have ever seen.
“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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