A mom who was dubbed a “monster” for treating her five-month-old son’s birthmark with laser therapy has revealed he’s hit a major health milestone.
Brooke Atkins, from Gold Coast, shared a video of now 18-month-old Kingsley in June to celebrate going a full month without seizures.
“This is the longest he has been seizure-free since September last year,” Ms Atkins wrote.
“We know it won’t last forever, but we’ll take the small victories as they come!”
Kingsley was born last January with a large port wine stain on half of his face.
After learning of the potentially harmful effects of the stain, Ms Atkins said she and her partner, Kewene Wallace, made the difficult decision to have their baby undergo laser treatment.
Port wine birthmarks are usually considered harmless, but when seen on the face — as in 65 percent of cases — they may be related to glaucoma and Sturge Weber syndrome.
Glaucoma can cause vision problems and headaches, while Sturge Weber syndrome impairs brain function and can cause seizures.
Kingsley (pictured during laser treatment) was born with a port wine birthmark on half of his face
Gold Coast mum Brooke Atkins (pictured holding Kingsley during his laser treatment) has said her 18-month-old son didn’t have a seizure for a whole month in June
Kingsley has been diagnosed with both.
It is also known that the unique moles change over time.
They may darken, become bumpy, or cause vascular blisters — abnormal blood vessels that can be dangerous if they bleed.
‘The only way to treat a port wine stain is through laser treatments and the most effective laser for this is called a Pulsed Dye Laser,’ Ms Atkins explained last year.
‘When he was first born we were referred to the dermatology and vascular department at Queensland Children’s Hospital where they organized the initial treatment and explained in more detail why laser would be important.
“The goal of the laser treatments is not to “remove” the mole, but to keep the skin healthy, to prevent further damage to the area.”
Kingsley’s original birthmark (left) was light, but laser treatment from when he was five months old has almost completely erased it (right)
Kingsley’s birthmark appeared light in color when he was first born and darkened as he continued laser treatment.
Now, at 18 months old, the spot is almost completely gone and Kingsley is at a much lower risk of future complications.
Ms Atkins and her partner often wondered if they were making the right choice during Kingsley’s treatment, but said they were thankful they figured it out.
“It was all hard, but would we regret it? Absolutely not,” she said Really in June.
‘We didn’t want to wait [until Kingsley was older]we wanted to do it then and there and he won’t remember.
“It would be much more stressful when he’s older than when he’s a baby.
“He was fine after that, he was happy.”
Mother Brooke Atkins and father Kewene Wallace (pictured holding Kingsley during the laser treatment) decided that their son should have laser treatment after hearing about the possible effects of a birthmark in port wine
Ms. Atkins said she was Kingsley (above) was referred to the Dermatology and Vascular Unit at Queensland Children’s Hospital shortly after birth
However, Ms Atkins received huge amounts of hate online for baby Kingsley’s laser treatments, with many accusing her of only appearing during the procedure and calling her a ‘monster’.
Another commented, “That birthmark is barely visible, what you’re doing to him is horrible, it’s more for you than for him.”
One person said, “Don’t think I could laser my baby.”
Another commented, “That birthmark is barely visible, what you’re doing to him is horrible, it’s more for you than for him.”
“Brainwashed mother who insecures her child as soon as he comes out of the womb,” another user commented.
“Why does everyone support this,” someone else commented.
Other commentators were quick to offer their support.
Thank you for spreading awareness and sharing your story! All the love to your family!” one person wrote.
“I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision, but he will thank you for it when he’s older and you did it out of love and because you want a better life for your son,” said another.
“Mothers know and do what is best for their children,” a third person wrote.
Port wine birthmarks are usually considered harmless, but if at first glance they can be associated with glaucoma and Sturge Weber syndrome – Kingsley (pictured with Mrs Atkins) suffers from both
Ms Atkins said one of the concerns was that Kingsley’s birthmark (above) could later darken, become bumpy or cause vascular blisters – abnormal blood vessels that could be dangerous if they bleed