Charlie is a two-year-old girl who was born with a hemangioma on her face, specifically on her right cheek. Some time ago we echoed her story and her mother's call for people to see the beautiful baby behind her birthmark and now we talk about the little girl again because a few days ago Charlie received a very special gift: a doll like her to help her normalize her hemangioma.
When children have some visible difference, whether physical or mental, the environment can be very cruel to them by not seeing them as "normal" children. Helping them accept and love their differences will make them feel more confident and confident. That is why his mother wanted to give him a doll as a symbol of that acceptance.
His mother Katie, author of the Typical Katie blog and mother of two other children, partnered with Little Plain Jane, a mother of two who makes handmade dolls, to create a doll that looks like your daughter, with a spot on her right cheek.
The idea is for the doll to help Charlie see his brand as one more characteristic of its appearance that makes it unique, and not as something bad or ugly.
The girl has loved her gift she called "Princess Cheek"(Princess Cheek) for her peculiar pink spot on her cheek.
Drumroll ... You probably saw this in my stories, but. You guys. Charlie has a baby doll that looks JUST like her thanks to @littleplainjane !!! ❤️ The time and care that this shop took to make the birthmark identical to Charlie's leaves me speechless. Charlie hasn't put the doll down since I gave it to her and named her (all by herself): Princess Cheek. This is the most wonderful gift we could have received this Christmas. This little girl has never been happier. Ps- if you are a hemangioma / PWS mom- they make custom dolls to look like your babe! I will be hosting a giveaway soon, too. ❤️ (Swipe through to see all the photos.) #Hemangioma #hemangiomaawareness #birthmarkbuddies #hemangiomamama #birthmarksarebeautiful #shopsmall #bestofetsy
A shared publication of Katie | Lifestyle Blogger (@katiemcrenshaw) on Dec 15, 2017 at 12:17 PST
Charlie's mother has confessed Having suffered very painful comments about your baby's appearance how to suggest that you use "your good side".
"He doesn't have a good side. We don't use that good side, nor do we touch up his hemangioma in the photos. His whole face is my sweet Charlie and it doesn't matter what his appearance looks like."
The hemangioma is part of his appearance since he was born (although he has remarkably remitted) and does not involve any medical complications for the child. It's just a cosmetic lesion that will disappear over time.
What is a hemangioma?
A hemangioma is a benign tumor that is usually located around the nose, mouth or eyes and consists of a uncontrolled growth of the cells that form blood vessels. They never invade other tissues and do not degenerate into a possible malignant tumor. 80% of hemangiomas are cutaneous and consist of raised reddish spots on the skin. It is quite frequent in children.
Many babies are born with these birthmarks, while sometimes they form in the first months of life. They have a first phase of rapid growth in which their volume and size increase rapidly, followed by a rest period, in which the hemangioma changes very little, and an involution phase in which it begins to disappear. They require frequent control by the pediatrician, of the color and size of the stain in case he could change his appearance, but most reduce over time until disappearing completely.
Photos | Katie Crenshaw (reproduced with permission)
In Babies and more | Some parents tattoo their daughter's birthmarks, a nice or absurd gesture ?, The first days with the baby: her appearance at birth
