The arrival of baby Natalie brought joy—and a moment of worry—for Andrew and Lacey Jackson, already parents to two boys.
“Hearing her first cry was so special,” Lacey recalled. “Then the nurse lifted our girl up, after my C-section, and I saw the big black mark on the left-hand side of her face.” Medics reassured them it was just a birthmark, and Natalie was healthy.
“As I cuddled our gorgeous baby girl, feeling enamoured by her, I worried that people might just see her for her birthmark,” Lacey said. Determined to nurture her confidence, the parents decided to show Natalie “how beautiful she is – and how she can achieve anything she wants.” Her older brothers were told the mark was her “superhero mask,” turning a potential stigma into pride.
Natalie underwent medical checks, including visits to an ophthalmologist, dermatologist, and an MRI. She was diagnosed with Congenital Melanocytic Nevi (CMN), a birthmark that usually causes no health issues. “She is even more rare considering her body has somehow lightened her nevus… She is one of the fortunate,” Lacey wrote.
Today, Natalie is thriving, playful, and confident. Her parents continue to share her journey online, celebrating their “gorgeous little superhero” who has grown up loved, happy, and proud of who she is.