July 6th 2024.
Kanika Aneja, a loving mother of a 16-month-old toddler named Avyukt, has been receiving mean comments about her son's birthmark. Every time they step out, people give them looks, not just at Avyukt but also at Kanika and her husband Deepanshu Kalra. It's as if they are being judged for something they did. Avyukt has a large birthmark covering half of his face, and strangers often ask if Kanika smoked during pregnancy or if that caused the black mark. Some have even compared his birthmark to "dog skin", which is hurtful for the parents.
However, what surprises Kanika and Deepanshu is that they didn't even notice the birthmark at first. Their main concern was their son's health as he was born motionless. It was only after Avyukt became conscious and was placed in Kanika's arms that they noticed the mark. The couple then did their research and found out that their son has Giant Hairy Congenital Melanocytic Nevus (CMN), a visible pigmented proliferation present at birth. While small to medium CMN is common in one in a hundred births, larger marks like Avyukt's, which is over 20cm, only affect one in 50,000 births.
The birthmark is benign and is a result of faulty development of pigment cell precursors in the embryo. It is composed of an abnormal mixture of skin elements. However, what pains Kanika and Deepanshu the most is the ignorance and judgment from strangers. People have asked them ridiculous questions like if Kanika scratched her forehead during pregnancy, resulting in her son's mark. Some have even gone to the extent of saying nasty things like his skin looks like a dog's skin.
What's even more heartbreaking for the couple is when people fail to educate their children about birthmarks, and their kids end up being rude to Avyukt. Some have even told their parents that they're scared of him. However, there are also children who ask what the mark is and are completely okay with it. These kids don't make Avyukt or his parents feel awkward or weird, and Kanika appreciates their parents for teaching them that birthmarks are normal.
Kanika and Deepanshu have found solace in Facebook and other parenting groups where they have connected with other parents who have similar experiences. They have also found parents who want to educate their children about birthmarks. Kanika is hopeful that these kids will be friends with Avyukt when he goes to school and that he will not feel out of place. She wants to raise a confident and happy child who is not affected by bullying, but she knows that it's a tough process.
Kanika and Deepanshu are considering medical intervention to remove Avyukt's birthmark, but they are unsure due to various reasons like multiple surgeries, fear of scarring, and the high costs involved. They are currently in the research phase to make a decision. The removal procedure would cost around £200,000, and Avyukt's recovery would take a year, along with multiple reconstructive surgeries in the later years. But regardless of what they decide, Kanika and Deepanshu just want their son to have a wonderful childhood like any other kid. He didn't ask for this mark, and he deserves to grow up without having to answer questions about it.
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