Aussie mum viciously branded a 'monster' by trolls for lasering birthmark on her baby's face reveals what her son, 3, looks like now

Sky News AU

2 days ago

An Aussie mum who was branded a "monster" for lasering a large birthmark on her baby boy's face has revealed what the three-year-old looks like now.
Brooke Atkins, 36, in 2022 welcomed her second child Kinglsey, who was born with a large port-wine stain (PWS) covering the right side of his face.
PWS is a permanent birthmark which takes on a reddish or blueish colour and is caused by the malfunction of blood vessels in the skin.
If it is located around the eyes and forehead, the staining can cause underlying conditions like epilepsy or eye problems such as glaucoma.
In Kingsley's case, he has glaucoma as well as Sturge Weber Syndrome, another hallmark of the birthmark, which sees him suffer from seizures.
Brooke, from the Gold Coast, Queensland, used six laser treatments over two years to treat Kingsley's PWS despite criticism from online trolls.
Ignoring those who called her "brainwashed" and claimed the move was more for her than her son, Brooke has recently taken to social media to show Kingsley's PWS is barely visible now after the light beam therapy.
The now three-year-old can be seen with a very dilated purple undertone to the right side of his face, a far cry from the intense violet shade it was.
In TikTok footage, Kinglsey smiled and giggled with his older sister Amarni as the siblings played at home, and he appeared happy after the treatment.
Those who had not been following Brooke and Kingsley's journey with treating his PWS would arguably never suspect he was born with it.
However the mum-of-two still remembers the vicious trolling she received from strangers when she decided with her partner, Kewene Wallace, 30, to laser their son's birthmark six months after he was born.
"That birthmark is barely visible, what you're doing to him is horrible," one person wrote, among many other people who supported the decision.
Another person accused Brooke of making her son "insecure the second he gets out of the womb".
Brooke addressed the reception she received and said when she first started reading the negative comments, she cried for a good half hour.
"I had a whole heap of mum guilt, and it made me question my decision," the mum of two said.
"Even though I knew I was doing the right thing, the cruel words still played in my head.
"I just wish these people had known about the health issues connected to these types of birthmarks before writing these things.
"This wasn't for cosmetic reasons, and as parents, this was the hardest decision we have had to make.
Brooke still has a long road ahead after the many treatments Kingsley has undergone in his life, including three eye surgeries for glaucoma, as well as having had more than 100 seizures, which he still suffers from.
Nevertheless, circumstances took a positive turn in July when Brooke said Kingsley was "doing really well" after recovering from "a few sicknesses".