How far would you go to make sure your child never felt alone? A pair of parents from the U.K. proved how far they would go, getting tattoos on their legs to match their daughter’s birthmark.
Tanya and Adam Phillips both got tattoos along their right leg to match the strawberry-colored birthmark that covers their 18-month-old daughter Honey-Rae.
“Most people might think it’s very extreme but to us it was the natural thing to do to ensure our daughter never felt different or alone in the world,” Tanya told The Mirror.
When Honey-Rae was born in 2013, the couple was happy to learn that the birthmark was completely harmless. But when Tanya saw people making fun of the way her daughter looked, the couple thought that her self-confidence would be hurt as she grew up. Tanya got Adam the tattoo as a Christmas gift, while Adam returned the favor this week on Tanya’s 40th birthday.
“Like any mum I didn’t want her to be different. I wanted her to be exactly the same as every other healthy child. And as much as the birthmark isn’t dangerous, I knew it could have a huge impact on the rest of her life,” Tanya told The Daily Mail.
“Although in our eyes she was perfect, I knew other people would cruelly point and stare at her,” she continued. “For the first few months of her life, whenever we went out, I made sure her legs were covered up. I couldn’t cope with stranger’s curious glances or whispering comments.”
Getting the tattoo was painful for Tanya, since she already has a tattoo of a flower above her ankle, but she knew it was worth it. Adam also had a tattoo of a cross on his leg before getting the birthmark added.
“When the swelling went down, I showed Honey-Rae, and she gently touched it and smiled as she said ‘Match,’ pointing to her own leg,” Tanya said. “If I’d have needed any reassurance that I’d made the right decision that was it.”
These parents tattooed their legs to match their daughter's birthmark: http://t.co/rP8vXNnUs5 pic.twitter.com/IZQFTOjaAu
— Mashable (@mashable) February 27, 2015