22 November 2023 , 13:16
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A mum who was branded a "monster" after she decided to use laser treatment to help reduce a birthmark on her baby's face has hit back at trolls after they accused her of "abuse".
Brooke Atkins, 34, and her partner Kewene Wallace, 28, from Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, made the difficult decision after their son Kingsley was born with a large Port Wine Stain (PWS) birthmark.
She faced backlash after she posted a video about her son, now 22-months-old, on TikTok following his treatment in May last year. But she has stressed that although the birthmark seems harmless, it can lead to Sturge Weber Syndrome and glaucoma, which can spark seizures if it conceals the eye.
Kingsley recieved later treatment to improve his conditions he developed from his birthmark (Jam Press Vid/Brooke Atkins)
Kingsley with his sister Amarni following treatment (Jam Press/Brooke Atkins)The little boy was sadly diagnosed with both conditions but the treatment has helped decrease his risk of developing further complications. Brooke has since shared how he hasn't had a seizure in over a month. As her son continues to blossom, the mum has stuck by her choice to progress with treatment.
"Kingsley is doing great. He had another laser treatment two months ago - his first treatment that was under general anaesthetic, as he's too big and aware to have treatments awake now," she said. "His face has responded greatly to the laser and we are five weeks seizure-free. He's also just had his third eye surgery for his glaucoma, which so far seems to have been a success."
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Kingsley was born with a 'port wine' mark (Jam Press Vid/Brooke Atkins)
Kingsley with his dad Kewene after treatment (Jam Press/Brooke Atkins)There was a lot of negative reaction online in response to Kingsley's story, however, Brooke stood by her decision. One person commented at the time: "That birthmark is barely visible, what you're doing to him is horrible, it's more for you than him." Another wrote: "'Brainwashed mother making her kid insecure the second he gets out the womb." A third user questioned: "'Why is everyone supporting this?" However, others rushed to the mum's defence, with one person stating: "You're the mom and you know what is the best for him."
Brooke was forced to defend herself on TikTok (Jam Press Vid/Brooke Atkins)
The baby recieved treatment in May 2022 (Jam Press Vid/Brooke Atkins)Brooke said that she suffered from "a whole heap of mum guilt" and was reduced to tears. She added: "Honestly, when I first started reading the negative comments, I sat there for a good half an hour and cried to myself. [ Recently] we once again received all these negative judgmental comments from people who did not understand why we did the laser. [They said] things like 'that's horrible, that's abuse', 'wow some people don't deserve kids and it's so sad they don't love them the way they are', and 'vanity is evil'.
"It no longer upsets me how it used to. It does however get me angry that they don't bother to educate themselves on Port Wine Stain birthmarks and jump to these conclusions. I try my best to educate them on why we are doing laser treatment at such a young age. I tell them that this will give him the best chance at not adding to his long list of medical issues he already has. And if they respond rudely to that, I try my best not to tell them what I really think but sometimes it's hard. If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all."
Brooke and Kewene are happy with the choice they made for their family (Jam Press/Brooke Atkins)Brooke and Kewene, who also share their three-year-old daughter Amarni together, will have to continue to take their son to hospital for further treatment. "The only way to treat a Port Wine Stain is through laser treatments and the most effective laser for it is called a Pulsed Dye Laser," she continued. "When he was first born, we were referred to the Queensland Children's Hospital dermatology and vascular department, where they organised the first treatment and explained in further detail why laser would be important.
Kingsley has responded well to his treatment (Jam Press/Brooke Atkins)
Kingsley will recieve more treatment in the future (Jam Press/Brooke Atkins)"The purpose of the laser treatments is not to 'remove' the birthmark but instead keep the skin healthy, to prevent any further damage to the area." The treatment will continue to be required one to two times a year for maintenance, with Brooke continuing to update her 46,000 followers and share Kingsley's progress as he continues to thrive. She added: "He is the happiest, most loving and sweetest boy you will ever meet!"