This is Anikka Bella (or Anibella, for short). Beautiful, isn’t she?

Anikka was born with a large, brown birthmark called a congenital nevus. Essentially, it’s like a big mole present at birth, only much larger than normal and, in Ani’s case, covering a large portion of her left cheek.

As Anikka’s parents, we’ll do everything and anything we can to make sure that Anikka has every opportunity in life. Unfortunately, in a society that places so much emphasis on physical appearance, we know that a large birthmark in such a prominent location presents sizable roadblocks for our daughter. In addition to the psychological issues, some studies have shown a link between congenital nevi and an increased chance of developing a malignant melanoma. With all this in mind, one thing is abundantly clear: the nevus has to go. Read the rest of this entry »