Little Winry’s parents were overjoyed when they welcomed their beautiful baby girl into the world. However, they soon noticed something that made their precious daughter even more special than they could have imagined – a rare birthmark that covered a large portion of her back.
Birthmarks can be quite special.
After all, they stay throughout one’s life. And while, at times, they could look odd to others- they are special and unique. This is the story of little Winry, who was born with a birthmark that made her pretty special.
Nicole Lucas Hall is a lovely mom of 2, son Asher and daughter Winry. 13-month-old, Winry, was born with a rare birthmark that covers a fourth of her face. When recalling the moment they first saw her daughter, Nicole said their initial thoughts were confusion and concern for her safety, as neither of them had ever seen such a birthmark like that.
Winry’s birthmark, which resembled a delicate flower, quickly became the talk of the hospital as doctors and nurses marveled at its unique beauty. But for Winry’s parents, the birthmark was more than just a physical trait – it was a symbol of their daughter’s strength and resilience.
She said:” When they first handed her to me, I thought it was 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.”
They assumed it was something ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜs, but the doctors quickly put their fears to rest. Winry was born with rare ᴄᴏɴɢᴇɴɪᴛᴀʟ ᴍᴇʟᴀɴᴏᴄʏᴛɪᴄ ɴᴇᴠɪ, with a prevalence estimated at around 1 in 50,000 births. They were reassured that the birthmark was most likely purely aesthetic and that any health ʀɪsᴋs would be on par with other nevi or moles.
Nicole a vast sigh of relief, they could finally relax and appreciate Winry’s arrival even more. Instead of being sad about her daughter’s circumstances, Nicole said she utilized the power of social media to promote awareness and to encourage others that being “different” is your superpower.
She said:” For a lot of people, this is the first time seeing a birthmark like hers and that’s part of why I enjoy sharing. 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. 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. I know our regular dermatology appointment is probably going to be our best friend growing up.”
Aside from that, they’ve been nearly entirely overwhelmed by the compassion of those who have learned about Winry.
Every little sister wants to have an older brother looking after her. And in Winry’s case, Asher is a true, helpful, sweet brother. According to Nicole, he is wonderfully unaware that there is anything ‘different’ about her. He knows she has a birthmark on her face, but that is nothing more different to him than having different eye colors.
Every single day, Nicole and her husband do everything they can to protect and raise Winry and her brother to be confident in all of their strengths and features. As important as it is for them to constantly check on Winry’s health, they are also concerned about how others might perceive or judge her.
Winry was the first person in the family to have this birthmark. But, Winry’s is what truly sets her apart. Nicole said:” She just radiates joy. She’s almost always laughing or shrieking. 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. We’ve got to talk to several people from Brazil with birthmarks. One of them has one that is almost identical to Winry and it’s been so fun to talk to her because she’s almost exactly my age.”
As Winry grew older, her birthmark continued to capture the attention of those around her. Some people would stare, others would ask questions, but Winry took it all in stride. She never once felt self-conscious about her birthmark, instead choosing to embrace it as a part of who she was.
In fact, Winry’s birthmark became a source of inspiration for her. She began to see herself as someone who was different, someone who stood out from the crowd. And that mindset helped her to develop a confidence and self-assurance that would serve her well throughout her life.
