When my granddaughter was born, I noticed something very different about her. She had several birthmarks covering her body, including her forehead and scalp. When I questioned the delivery nurse as to what it was she said, “oh it’s just a birthmark”. My first concern was for my daughter. Although Lia was born healthy we had many fears and concerns on what to do and where to go from there. We soon learned that Lia’s birthmark was called Congenital Melanocytic Nevus and was a very rare condition that affects only 1-500,000 babies. Children born with a large CMN can also have melanocytes on the brain and spinal cord, a condition called Neurocutaneous Melanocytosis, which can cause seizures and other medical problems. Fast forward 21 months later... We have consulted with the top doctors in the country that have extensive knowledge in Large Nevi. Lia had an MRI done at 1 month old to rule out NCM. We consulted with several surgeons, and Lia’s parents decided to move forward with removal. Last September, they flew to Chicago, and Lia had her first round of skin expanders placed in her head to stretch her skin. Her surgeon then took the "new" skin created and used it in place of the birthmark. This year, Lia will have another round of skin expanders and surgery to continue the removal process. We are so blessed to have a the most beautiful, healthy, amazing baby girl that we could possibly ask for. Nevus Outreach was a tremendous help for us to not only learn more about CMN, but to also find doctors and support along the way. Team Lia will be participating in the 5K to bring awareness to and raise money for the research of Congenital Melanocytic Nevi.