“You are beautiful, no matter what they say,… cause you are beautiful in every single way,” Christina Aguilera sang in her hit song, “Beautiful.”
And that’s what mother, Nicole Hall, wants her daughter, Winry to believe and live every day. She was born with an extremely rare birthmark called congenital melanocytic nevi, or CMN. CMN, “also known as a mole, is a type of pigmented birthmark that appears at birth or during a baby’s first year.”
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“When they first handed her to me, I thought it was a bruise,” Nicole told “Good Morning America.” “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.”
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And, instead of cursing the universe for her daughter’s condition, this strong mother used this opportunity to bring awareness of CMN to the public.
She posted a photo of the four of them on her Instagram account announcing to the world that the newest member of their family has joined them.
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Some parents would have tried to hide the birthmark or talked to doctors about removing it. But Nicole is different.
She and her husband and son accepted it almost immediately and embraced Winry’s condition. And she doesn’t shy away from people asking about Winry and CMN.
“For a lot of people, this is the first time seeing a birthmark like hers and that’s part of why I enjoy sharing,” Nicole shared. “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.”
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And do you know what? When she posted Winry’s 1st photo on her Instagram account, she received comments from other parents with children who have the same condition.
“My daughter was also born with a congenital nevus,” josie.l.anderson commented.
“My baby boy Ahmad❤️ was also born with a birthmark on his face this September😇,” urroj_ayesha21 added.
“She’s beautiful! My daughter Grace was also born with a birthmark on her face this February!” alicia.rocha chimed in.
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And there were some followers who wanted to know more about Winry’s condition.
“Whats the reason for it? It is not just pigmentation, it affects the texture of her skin. What is it? How can I read about them?” minaguille asked.
“…I was curious to know if it’s something you knew she was going to have? As in could it be picked up in scans or blood work, genetic testing? Or does it run in the family. I’d love to know more about it that’s all ❤️ Much love!” lc_partyhire wanted to know.
And not only was Nicole present to answer their questions but her other followers were also quick to fill in the gaps while Nicole was busy taking care of her family.
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And although she has been empowering her daughter to feel beautiful no matter what, her family still recognizes the higher medical risks of her condition.
“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,” Nicole said. “I know our regular dermatology appointment is probably going to be our best friend growing up.”
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But, Nicole admits, she is more worried about the bullying (and its frequency) that Winry may experience when she gets older. She’s more worried about this than the higher risk of cancer. And for this, she has one thing to say to other parents and other people.
“Be better; raise better humans,” Nicole posted on her Instagram account.
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Well said, Nicole!
To learn more about Nicole’s mission to share awareness on CMN, watch this video.
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