These Parents Went to Extraordinary Lengths to Secure Their Daughter’s Future—And People Everywhere Are Inspired
Parents will do anything to protect their children—and for one family, that meant going to extreme measures to make their daughter feel confident and happy.
A Rare Condition
When baby Vienna Brookshaw was born in April 2021 in the U.K., her mom, Celine Casey, was overjoyed. But her happiness did not last long when she noticed a dark mark between her daughter’s eyebrows.
Physicians identified it as congenital melanocytic nevus (CMN)—a uncommon birthmark that occurs in just 20,000 babies worldwide. It wasn’t life-threatening, yet it would keep growing along with her and possibly make Vienna get negative attention or cruel comments as she got older.
That potential worried her parents a lot.
“We Didn’t Want Her to Be Treated Differently”
Celine and her partner soon noticed that strangers were already gazing at their baby. Fearing that this would only worsen when Vienna started school, they began to look into having the birthmark removed.
“I didn’t want her to grow up hating us,” Celine said. “We love her regardless—but we wanted to be able to give her the choice to not have that mark if it made her uncomfortable.”
But when they approached the National Health Service (NHS) for assistance, they were denied. The procedure was classified as cosmetic, rather than medical.
Appealing to the Public for Assistance
Vienna’s parents were not willing to give up on their daughter, so they initiated a crowdfunding campaign—and the public reaction was incredible. In 24 hours, they had raised $52,000.
However, with heightened post-pandemic medical costs, they needed an additional $27,000. So they turned to GoFundMe again to fill the gap and secure the long-sought treatment for their little girl.
A Bright Future Ahead
Vienna is three years old now and has had three successful surgeries to remove the birthmark. All that remains today is a small scar on her forehead—and lots of gratitude from her family.
Her mom often shares updates online, celebrating her daughter’s healing and calling her “absolutely gorgeous.”
The family continues to follow up with the surgeon in London to monitor her progress, but for now, Vienna is a happy, healthy toddler with no more procedures needed.
We’re sending Vienna and her amazing family all our best wishes! Share this inspiring story with others who believe in the power of love and determination.
