Baby’s birthmark dark-colored mark on her forehead, parents urged for surgery
Baby’s birthmark dark-colored mark on her forehead, parents urged for surgery, it appeared on social media all over Instagram and Tick-tock.
A family has thanked “generous” donors who helped them to raise £25,000 to pay for their daughter’s birthmark to be removed.
Six-month-old Vienna was born with congenital meloncystic nevus, a dark-coloured mark on her forehead.
Parents Daniel Brookshaw and Celine Casey, from York, chose to raise money for private surgery because the NHS does not fund cosmetic procedures.
Mr Brookshaw said the amount raised from donations was “unbelievable” told to BBC news.
Vienna’s rare condition, which covers most of her forehead, is caused by a benign build-up of extra pigment cells in one area.
Ms Casey said she worried her “cheeky, smiley” daughter would find school difficult and that it could affect her mental health as she grew up.
“It will mean everything,” she said. “Her future, going to school. She’s going to be very thankful.”
image caption,The couple hope to donate the leftover money to another family who need help with treatment
The NHS will only remove a birthmark if it is affecting a person’s health, it said, with cosmetic removals having to be done privately.
After being told this, her parents launched a £14,000 fundraiser, which went on to smash its target.
“It’s unbelievable,” Mr Brookshaw said. “We didn’t expect it to raise £14,000, never mind £25,000.
“It’s just overwhelming really, people can be so kind. The generosity especially in these times is just amazing.”
Vienna will undergo an MRI scan and three different surgeries to remove parts of her birthmark over an 18-month period.
If the couple have money left over, they plan to donate it to another family in a similar position.
“If she can get it removed now [before she goes to school] and it won’t impact her mental health, I’d rather protect her from that,” Ms Casey added.
