| Calico Corner |
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 Finding Love: Harder with a Birthmark?
By Stephanie Nakhleh
Looking for social contacts or that special someone? Stephanie in NM has some tips for meeting people and keeping your sense of self! |
 Moranda's Road to Treatment
By Patricia Byrd
Moranda's mom shares the story of her search to help her daughter's path to greater self-esteem |
 Addie's Story
By Addie Howard
Addie is a high school senior and a national-level all-star cheerleader. She has KTS, but does not let this hold her back. |
 Kay's Story
By Kay Lewin
Kay did not know about the 2005 Port Wine Stain Conference until two days before it started. Even though she was told no doctor could help her, she flew from England to California to attend. There she met new friends and found new hope. |
 Bob's Story
By Bob Donald
"If asked in general to provide my 'life story" it wouldn’t include any reference to my birthmark. That is not to say it is not a part of my every day life, just that it has no bearing on who I am or what I have accomplished." |
 Alex's Story-- Experiences of Laser Treatment
By Alex Pratt
Alex tells about his experience with laser treatments more than a decade ago. |
 Megan's Story-- Laser Treatments in the 1980s and 1990s
By Megan Brunelle
Megan began laser treatments on her PWS in 1985 with Dr. Tan in Boston. Ouch. |
 Jay's Story-- Skin Grafts
By Jay Franco
Jay provides details about his skin graft treatment from long ago (the 1960s). As Jay explains, this method produced less than perfect results. |
 Marshall’s Glaucoma Journey
By Katrina McMillan (newsgroup member)
A story of pediatric ophthalmologists, numerous bottles of eye drops, and a right-handed boy needing to learn how to bat left-handed. |
 Facing the Dark and Seeing It Through
By Jodie Mader
Jodie Mader's story of living with glaucoma. |
 Mike Rosato's Story
By Mike Rosato
We teach our children that black skin and white skin and yellow skin and red skin aren't important -- it is the person inside that matters. If our skin is two or three different colors... well... so what? |
 Love Your Birthmark
By Beverley Fulker
Bev is a Committee Member of the Birthmark Support Group in the United Kingdom. She is makeup free and loving it. |
 Shonai
By Jacqueline Rifkin
A poem about shonai, which means "unique" in Hebrew. |
 Eleanor's PWS
By Estelle Schweizer
Estelle relates her infant daughter's experience with PWS and laser treatment. |
 A Family Gathering
By Estelle Schweizer
Estelle talks about her experience at the 2007 PWS Conference, the birthmark family, and embracing what brought us together. |
For Timothy and Syndee
By Rejena Girton
Rejena's story of having two children with birthmarks. |
 General Anethesia and Laser Treatment
By Victoria Crawford
Victoria's story of her daughter's laser treatments-- with and without general anesthesia. This includes factors to consider in deciding on pain treatment. |
 Helping Myself by Helping Others
By Jennifer Wylie
How volunteerism helps with inner-peace. |
My Birthmark Does Not Define Me
By Glenda Ethington
Geoff Ritchie's story of port wine stain growth. |
My Life With a Birthmark
By Glen Ethington
People make fun of me because they think it's something to laugh at but it's actually not. When people make fun of me it makes me feel bad and sad. When people make fun of me it hurts. I have to take special medicine so I won't have any more seizures. |
 Ty's Story
By Kristan McBee
I'm the mother of a beautiful young boy. He has a Port Wine Stain on his left eyelid, forehead and scalp. Over the past 10 months he has endured 7 laser treatments and although the stain is significantly reduced, I know we have a long journey ahead. |
 Marked for Life (an excerpt)
By Joie Davidow
Mommy was intellectual, determined, disciplined. But Grandmom was always laughing or crying. Her emotions were as unbridled as Mommy's were restrained. In Grandmom's arms, my face pressed against her enormous bosom, I was safe. |
 The Camouflage Junkie
By Catharine Fennell
The subject of “camouflage” is one that is very near and dear to my heart. In fact, it is probably one of the most important things in my life. Something I think about and live with every single day. |
 The Benefits
By Mark Mongrain
I'm not going to try and tell everyone out there that having a facial port wine stain is better than not having one, but there are certain benefits: |
Stained
By Pam Stephens
I was born. Life was easy. No memories, no wounded heart. Then came five, six and seven. It wasn't a good start. People stared, pointed, teased and laughed until I'd cry. I remember thinking life would be easier if I'd die. |
The Mask
By Joie Davidow
I was nineteen years old and a sophomore in college when I began wearing the mask that would become my liberation and my prison for the next thirty years. I grew up in a small town where "nice" girls didn’t use more than a touch of lipstick, and I wanted |
 The Job Interview
By Charlie Cale
So I'm looking for a new job. This involves a special kind of nightmare for me, it's called the Job Interview. |
| Editor's Note: Calico Corner is always looking for good columns of 300-500 words to publish. Please submit articles to the editor@birthmarks.com. |
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