Ebony and Jamie, 34, met in 2016 and have a son, Harley, three. Jamie also has an older daughter, Hollie, nine, from a previous relationship. Harper joined their small family in September 2020, weighing 8lbs 4ozs.
Little Harper was born with a 1 in 20,000 birthmark across the left side of her face and her nose. Harper King’s devoted parents Ebony and Jamie say that when they first saw the enormous birthmark that spanned most of her face, they were “speechless.” She was stunning, but they were concerned about how people would treat her as she grew older.
Ebony, 23, from Huddersfield, Yorkshire, said: ‘The birthmark came as a huge shock and I am saddened to think how Harper might be treated as she grows up. Humans can be so cruel.
No matter what shape you have, you will always be the child of your parents, the angels, the crystallization of love. Her parents declined the offer of surgery to give her the ability to make her own decisions as she grew older despite their initial reservations, claiming it “made her even more lovely.” Her siblings call it her ‘special mark’ and that’s exactly how we see it; Harper is special. She’s even more beautiful with her birthmark and we’ll make sure we tell her that every day.
Harper underwent a planned caesarean section, according to Ebony. She has a really large birthmark on her face, Jamie told me after she was born. I couldn’t say anything when I saw her. I couldn’t believe that she was hiding half of her face. I believe I was in shock at the time, so I didn’t sit down and cry for very long until about two weeks later. I mourn for Harper and all the prejudices she may encounter in the future rather than for myself.
The therapist told the family that the birthmark was a congenital Naevus Melanocytic, and that a large facial birthmark is so rare that one in every 20,000 births occurs.
Fortunately, it’s just a birthmark, and while Harper will need to have more testing, it’s unlikely to pose a severe health risk. They were given the choice of having the birthmark surgically removed, which would need a skin graft and undoubtedly be a painful treatment that would leave scars.
Ebony said: ‘The birthmark has faded a bit since she was born but it will never fade completely. We decided to leave the surgery alone until Harper was old enough to decide for herself. It’s a huge job and she should be the one to decide.
We respect your child’s decision, so all decisions will be left to him as he grows up. Anyway, you are a great gift that has come to this small family’s life. Our children always love each other, nothing is happier than seeing them like this, growing up together, being healthy together.
