Six-month-old Charlie Crenshaw created quite the buzz with her mother Katie Crenshaw, who posted images of Charlie, who has a distinct facial feature. Charlie lives with her mom, dad, and older brother in Atlanta happens to have a birthmark called a capillary hemangioma.
The birthmark is, in fact, a benign vascular tumor, according to Katie. She also adds that the mark is cosmetic in a way that it doesn’t do Charlie harm, and she has to take medications so that the mark doesn’t get bigger.
Katie hopes that it will work towards Charlie’s advantage, as most hemangiomas involute and finally disappear. The countless pictures and stories that she has shared about Charlie also discuss the various characteristics of her through her blog and her images on Instagram. But, people, being people, don’t seem to stop asking about the little girl’s birthmark.
And, this curiosity has baffled little Charlie’s folks. It’s something that is ‘out of the bounds’ for them. The way they see it, the birthmark is part of Charlie’s life, and they would want to talk about normal baby things. Constant remarks from strangers, let alone family and friends, have begun to take a toll on the Crenshaws.
Expressions like ‘poor baby’ or ‘praying that it goes away’ have fallen heavily on Katie’s ears. She has had to contend with insensitive, and frankly cruel, comments like “Turn her over to her good side…too bad she has that…she is so pretty otherwise.”
With some introspection, Katie began to realize why the comments were so hurtful. She realized that the birthmark made Charlie unique and perhaps it was that something that made her unique that they were pitying. She added, “People were praying away one of her particular characteristics.”
Katie Crenshaw, therefore, decided to elaborate the situation on her blog which has since gone on to feature in various publications. In her blog, Crenshaw recommends that everyone spare the pity, and people would be doing themselves an enormous favor by not praying away the mark, but by praying that Charlie grows into a confident girl and loves herself no matter what she looks like. She also wishes that the Charlie doesn’t have to overhear any of her prayers that her ‘well-wishers’ say for her every time they see her birthmark. Katie would rather want people to pray that her daughter grows up to be a healthy person in an age where being different borders a crime.
She also urges people to imagine her walking up to them and ask them pointedly about a malformation or a genetic defect that their children might carry.
Katie also considers the hemangioma just as insignificant as a freckle on her arm, and that neither needs to be mentioned.
The proud mother also clarifies that the entire face belongs to her sweet Charlie, no matter how it looks like, and, therefore, she doesn’t have the need to retouched in the photos or turned over to her ‘good side’ for family photos.
The post was very well received by several other parents, who have been in the same boat with their children displaying distinctive characteristics. The response has also moved Charlie because her post reached so many who had been through an identically bitter experience. By sharing Charlie’s story, Katie hopes to change people’s attitudes towards appearances and normalize the differences in appearances.
Katie pins her hopes on Charlie, and that Charlie will grow up as an example that beauty is not defined by societal norms of flawlessness. She also adds that it is normal for people to pity those who look different, but she wishes that they can embrace the differences.
