In a world where fashion tips, diet tricks and social media are everywhere, it’s important to remember that people come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. It is our birthright to be our own unique selves. It is not uncommon for us to be born with blue eyes or brown hair, or to have special birthmarks. Winry Hall was born with congenital melanocytic nevi, or CMN, a very rare birthmark.
Nicole Hall, Winry’s mother, initially thought her baby had a bruise or a large mole; however, they eventually found out that it was a rare birthmark, which comes in small and large sizes.
She has been on a mission to change the way the world views beauty because of the difficulties her daughter might face due to such a birthmark. Winry’s mom set up a social media page to share updates on the baby’s day-to-day life in order to bring awareness to her case. Nicole has advocated and used social media to show the world it’s okay to be different since her daughter’s diagnosis. Nicole has over 201,000 followers on Tiktok, and her videos show Winry’s joy despite her rare birthmark.
As a result of her diagnosis, the young baby may be at a greater risk of developing melanoma later in life, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The young girl’s mother tells the world that her family won’t be deterred by the diagnosis, and they work extra hard to protect her skin.
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Nicole spoke with Good Morning America about her mission to raise awareness for Winry. According to her:
“For a lot of people, this is their first experience seeing a birthmark like hers, which is why I enjoy sharing it… This is a good conversation for parents with their children to see kids have differences, or for parents who do have kids who look like Winry or who have any kind of birthmark to see their child represented.”
In addition to TikTok, Nicole has an Instagram account with over 104,000 followers where she shares photos and videos of Winry and her brother Asher to normalize CMN. Due to Nicole’s passion for sharing Winry’s story on social media, the family has met other kiddos just like Winry on the other side of the globe.
Nicole said, “We need to speak with several Brazilians with birthmarks.” “One of them has one that is almost identical to Winry’s and we have a lot of fun talking with her.”
Nicole has been focusing on spreading awareness of CMN and connecting with others, which has kept her busy, but Winry’s health remains the family’s top priority.
We have to monitor her with sunscreen and I’m careful with hats,” Nicole said. “I know our dermatology appointments will be our best friends as we grow up,” she said.
Even though Winry faces adversity on a daily basis, Nicole told GMA that she is the epitome of a happy baby.
“She is just the happiest baby I have ever seen. She’s almost always laughing or shrieking,” her mother said. Nicole said, “She’s a big talker already. Although we haven’t spoken much yet, she tells you how it is and she’s already showing some sassiness, so I think we’re in for a lot,” she said.
She explained that Winry is at elevated risk for melanoma, but that she monitors her closely and wears sunscreen and hats to protect her from the sun. According to her, Winry’s mental health could be her biggest problem in the coming years. According to her:
Our biggest concern at this point is likely to be her mental health. Many people are wondering about bullying and what she might have experienced as a child. “Honestly, I think a lot of that comes from ignorance and not having seen it before.”
Before holding her daughter in her arms, she had never seen a birthmark like Winry’s. In addition, she said:
It doesn’t bother me that others haven’t seen it, but I wish it was different. The more you see these differences, the more normalized they become. That’s why we share.”
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