People often say everyone should feel comfortable in their own skin, but that idea is not always shared by everyone watching from the outside. Judgments come quickly online, and sometimes people decide a parent’s medical decision must be wrong before they even understand what actually happened.
That is pretty much what Australian mother Brooke Atkins faced after sharing her son’s story online. Her baby boy Kingsley was born with a large port wine stain birthmark covering about half of his face, something that immediately caught the attention of doctors after delivery.
Port wine stains are not always dangerous, but Kingsley’s situation worried doctors because the mark extended near his eyes. That raised concern about possible conditions such as Sturge Weber syndrome or glaucoma, both of which can cause serious complications and may threaten a child’s eyesight.
Brooke later described the moment doctors realized there might be a problem. “After having to watch my son have a speculum placed in his eyes, it was determined that his pressures were quite high and that it looked like glaucoma had kicked in,” she wrote.
“They gave me eye drops to relieve the pressure and told me to take photos every couple of days, to see if the eye was getting bigger or not. He was booked in for a week later to see if it had got worse and if so, to schedule an operation under general anaesthetic.”
The experience was overwhelming for the young mother. “Due to Covid, I attended this appointment by myself and although I held it together, by the time I went into the toilets at the end, I completely broke down. Reality had hit – my child could go blind in one eye.”
Doctors recommended laser therapy to manage the birthmark and protect the surrounding skin. The goal was not cosmetic, but to keep the affected area healthy and lower the chance of further damage developing as Kingsley grew older.
When Brooke shared her son’s treatments on TikTok, hoping to document his journey and raise awareness, the reaction was not what she expected. Many viewers were supportive, but others quickly accused her of hurting her own child and questioned why she allowed the procedure.
Some comments were especially harsh, calling her a “monster” for agreeing to the treatment. Others suggested the birthmark should have been left alone and implied the procedure was unnecessary, even though doctors had already explained the potential medical risks involved.
The criticism hit Brooke hard at first. “Honestly, when I first started reading the negative comments, I sat there for a good half an hour and cried to myself,” she said, admitting the comments made her question herself for a moment.
“I had a whole heap of mum guilt, and it made me question my decision. Even though I knew I was doing the right thing, the cruel words still played in my head.”
Over time, though, the family continued sharing updates about Kingsley’s progress and many supportive messages began appearing. Brooke explained that the treatments were about protecting her son’s health and not about changing how he looked.
“I just wish these people had known about the health issues connected to these types of birthmarks before writing these things, that this wasn’t for cosmetic reasons and that as parents, this was the hardest decision we have had to make.”
Years later, Kingsley continues receiving care and doing well. His mother says the experience changed how she sees the online criticism, and she feels more confident about the difficult choice they made to help their son.
