Vienna Rose Brookshaw was born with a birthmark. It wasn’t just any birthmark, but a specific type of skin condition known as congenital melanocytic nevi. Although her parents loved every bit of their daughter, they worried about whether or not she would be bullied in life. As a result, they had a difficult decision to make, one that certainly caused a lot of controversy.
When Vienna was born with a large birthmark on her forehead, and between her eyebrows, her mom, Celine, worried that she may have somehow been responsible for the rare occurrence and immediately sought help getting the birthmark removed. Because this kind of procedure is often considered cosmetic, insurance wouldn’t cover it. Celine and her partner Daniel were determined to prevent their baby from being ridiculed. “We went out daily with her, and we got a few stares.” She disclosed. She also worried that Vienna might one day resent her and Daniel for not taking action when she was little.
The Birthmark Causes Conflict
The pair were concerned about the future of their baby girl’s mental health and turned to crowdfunding for help. Within 24 hours, they’d reached their $52,000 goal but then needed to raise an additional $27,000 to keep up with the cost of inflation. Finally, they had the money they needed to afford the hotels and hospital visits but faced yet another challenge. The surgeon refused to perform the operation, believing it should be Vienna’s choice when she was old enough. Fortunately, the birthmark wasn’t cancerous. Nor was it a threat to Vienna’s health. Nonetheless, Daniel and Celine openly expressed the desire to have their daughter’s birthmark removed and their dissatisfaction regarding the medical team’s decision not to do so.