When Riley was born with CMN on her arm, we were surprised to learn that her doctors had never seen it in person and had only seen it in textbooks. We had never heard of CMN either, so we suddenly found ourselves learning about something completely unfamiliar.

We were referred to a pediatric dermatologist, and Riley has been monitored since birth. We were told there would always be a chance her CMN could turn into melanoma, and hearing that was terrifying as a parent. Navigating the medical uncertainty while also thinking about the emotional and psychological impact of growing up with CMN has made us realize just how important awareness is.

We want to raise awareness so that more medical professionals understand CMN and more families can find the information, support, and resources they need. We also want Riley to grow up confident in her own skin and love her CMN as a part of who she is.

Most importantly, we want Riley to always know how much we advocate for her, both medically and emotionally. We want her to know that she is fearfully and wonderfully made and perfect exactly the way she is.