‘People call me a monster for getting laser treatment for my baby boy’

A mom-of-two has been forced to defend her decision to get laser treatment for her six-month-old boy after sharing his story on TikTok.

Brooke proudly shares her journey with her youngest son, Kingsley, who was diagnosed with Sturge-Weber syndrome – a neurological disorder which has also caused glaucoma in his eye – as well as a prominent port-wine stain birthmark across his face.

But when Brooke spoke about her decision to start laser treatment for Kingsley to remove the birthmark, she was called “cruel” and “a child abuser”.

Many others also slammed the mom-of-two for not waiting until Kingsley was older to make the decision himself.

Mom explains decision to get laser treatment for baby’s birthmark

Brooke explained that she is following the advice of medical professions. 

“It’s not like I got up one day and decided ‘hey I’m going to get rid of his birthmark, I don’t think he’s cute’. I think he is the most beautiful boy in the whole entire world. There is no doubt about that,” she explains in her TikTok video.

“I don’t give a f**k whether he has a birthmark on his face or not. If I didn’t know what a port-wine stain birthmark could do to a person, then I would leave it on his face.

“He’s beautiful no matter what, it pisses me off that people think this is purely for cosmetic purposes.”

Brooke said watching her son go through the process has been incredibly tough. 

She documented Kingsley’s second laser treatment in which she “ran out crying” during the two-minute procedure while Kingsley’s dad stayed with him.

“Port-wine stain birthmarks get worse over time” 

Regardless, people still told Nicole stories about their own children where their birth marks had faded over time.

She went on to explain that if port-wine stain birthmarks are left untreated they can cause serious glaucoma and even blindness.

“Port-wine stains do not fade, they do not dissipate. They darken over time, they can progress and become lumpy and cause more health issues. The younger they are, the better it is to start the laser because it’s fresh on their skin and less stubborn,” she said.

“They will need more sessions in the future if you were to start it later.”

“Kingsley has gone through so much, but smiles through everything”

Thankfully, the family has been told Kingsley will only need one or two more sessions before he moves to yearly maintenance laser treatments.

Paying tribute to her son as he reached six months old, Nicole said she was grateful he had chosen her to be his mom and that she wanted to use her platform to raise awareness about port-wine stain birthmarks and their dangers.

“You have been through so much more than any child should have to go through, yet you smile through everything and hit every milestone they told me you wouldn’t hit,” she said in an emotional video. 

“You have taught me so much about strength and resilience.”