Whether you call it a "stork bite", an "angel's kiss" or a "beauty mark", a birthmark is a blemish on the skin that's formed before birth. No one knows for certain what causes them, but there are times when a birthmark is more than a cosmetic problem. 

In some cultures birthmarks are referred to as "wishes" because, according to folklore, they are caused by the unanswered wishes of the mother during her pregnancy. But for the mother you are about to meet, nothing could be further from the truth, because her only wish is that her daughter never had to endure the problems her birthmark caused. 

When Robin and Chris Houwman's daughter, Chloe, was born three years ago, it was hard to imagine any baby more beautiful. But while they were busy counting fingers & toes, her baby's doctor appeared to be counting something else. Houwman explains, "I said, ' What are you doing?' and he said, ' I'm looking for birthmarks.' And he said, 'I don't see a one.' Well, about two weeks later the story changed." 

Because two weeks later, a small red spot developed on the back of Chloe's neck. Alarmed, Houwman checked with the doctor. Houwman says, "He said, ' It's just a hemangioma. Don't worry, it will go away.'" Only it didn't. In fact, the birthmark began to grow. Houwman explains, "Hers' started ulcerating, so we had an open wound on the back of her neck that for about three months we'd change bandages three times a day. We'd scrape out dead skin and it would bleed." 

Doctors here wouldn't remove it. Houwman says, "Initially, the doctors that we consulted with here said that surgery wasn't an option... that she could in fact bleed to death during the surgery." 

But as the mass of blood vessels grew to limit Chloe's ability to move, her mother refused to rest in her mission to remove it. She finally found a doctor in New York willing to try. After a 45-minute surgery, this scar is all that remains of Chloe's birthmark. Her mother now sees it as a symbol of hope for others like her. Houwman adds, "For me, it's just very, very important to provide other mothers with that same sense of relief and hope that there is something else out there besides waiting." 

Robin Houwman didn't stop once Chloe's birthmark was removed, she is now working to raise money for the support of other mothers who will follow the same path with their own children. We've set up a link to how you can help below: 

Vascular Birthmark Support website

The Vascular Birthmarks Foundation

NOVA website