Some 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren used to take 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 by having a ʀᴀʀᴇ ʙɪʀᴛʜᴍᴀʀᴋ, but some ʙɪʀᴛʜᴍᴀʀᴋs differ totally from other, similarly little Winry has taken 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 by having a ʀᴀʀᴇ ʙɪʀᴛʜᴍᴀʀᴋ. Nicole Lucas Hall is a lovely mom of 2, son Asher and daughter Winry. 13-month-old, Winry, was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 with a ʀᴀʀᴇ ʙɪʀᴛʜᴍᴀʀᴋ that covers a fourth of her face. When recalling the moment they first saw her daughter, Nicole said their initial thoughts were confusion and concern for her safety, as neither of them had ever seen such a ʙɪʀᴛʜᴍᴀʀᴋ like that.

She said: “When they first ʜᴀɴᴅᴇᴅ her to me, I thought it was a ʙʀᴜɪsᴇ. It was then quickly apparent to my husband and I that it was not a ʙʀᴜɪsᴇ. And like the name, I thought it looked a lot like a ᴍᴏʟᴇ.” They assumed it was something ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜs, but the doctors quickly put their ꜰᴇᴀʀs to rest. Winry was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 with ʀᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴɢᴇɴɪᴛᴀʟ ᴍᴇʟᴀɴᴏᴄʏᴛɪᴄ ɴᴇᴠɪ, with a prevalence estimated at around 1 in 50,000 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡s. They were reassured that the ʙɪʀᴛʜᴍᴀʀᴋ was most likely purely aesthetic and that any ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ʀɪsᴋs would be on par with other nevi or ᴍᴏʟᴇs.

Nicole a vast sigh of relief, they could finally relax and appreciate Winry’s arrival even more.  Instead of being sᴀᴅ about her daughter’s circumstances, Nicole said she utilized the power of social media to promote awareness and to encourage others that being “different” is your sᴜᴘᴇʀᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ. She said: “For a lot of people, this is the first time seeing a ʙɪʀᴛʜᴍᴀʀᴋ like hers and that’s part of why I enjoy sharing. This is a good conversation for parents with their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren to see kids have differences, or for those parents who do have a kid that looks like Winry or has any kind of a ʙɪʀᴛʜᴍᴀʀᴋ to see their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 represented. Her health and happiness are our top priority. We have to monitor her with sunscreen. I’m careful with hats and that sort of thing. I know our regular dermatology appointment is probably going to be our best friend growing up.”

Aside from that, they’ve been nearly entirely ᴏᴠᴇʀᴡʜᴇʟᴍᴇᴅ by the ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀssɪᴏɴ of those who have learned about Winry. Every little sister wants to have an older brother looking after her. And in Winry’s case, Asher is a true, helpful, sweet brother. According to Nicole, he is wonderfully unaware that there is anything ‘different’ about her. He knows she has a ʙɪʀᴛʜᴍᴀʀᴋ on her face, but that is nothing more different to him than having different eye colors. Every single day, Nicole and her husband do everything they can to protect and raise Winry and her brother to be confident in all of their sᴛʀᴇɴɢᴛʜs and features. As important as it is for them to constantly check on Winry’s health, they are also concerned about how others might perceive or judge her.

Winry was the first person in the family to have this ʙɪʀᴛʜᴍᴀʀᴋ. But, Winry’s is what truly sets her apart. Nicole said: “She just radiates joy. She’s almost always laughing or sʜʀɪᴇᴋɪɴɢ. She is just the happiest 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 I have ever seen. She’s a big talker already. We haven’t got a whole lot of words out, but she tells you like it is and she’s already getting a little bit of sassiness, so I think we’re gonna have a lot on our hands. We’ve got to talk to several people from Bʀᴀᴢɪʟ with ʙɪʀᴛʜᴍᴀʀᴋs. One of them has one that is almost identical to Winry and it’s been so fun to talk to her because she’s almost exactly my age.” As a parent, they are giving their full effort and time so that they can support and encourage their daughter. They are trying to make their daughter believe it is just a common thing, not a thing which is going to ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴛɪᴀᴛᴇ her from any other human being.