When Paige Franks gave birth to her baby girl, her initial thought was one of fear – she believed her precious child had cancer. Baby Mila was born with an unusual lump on her neck, a birthmark so large that it resembled a second head. It was a sight that would terrify any parent.
However, Mila’s birthmark was not cancer, as Paige had initially feared. Instead, little Mila was born with a rare condition known as congenital hemangioma. This condition is characterized by the presence of small blood vessels beneath the skin, which cluster together to create a lump or mark.
The birthmark was significant in size, resembling a tennis ball on her tiny neck. Paige, who is a mother of two, compared it to a “bag of blood” and worried incessantly about the possibility of it rupturing. She became so consumed by fear that she measured the lump regularly, witnessing its gradual shrinking over the course of three months.
Now, the lump has entirely vanished from Mila’s neck, a reassuring sight for Paige, who initially believed her daughter had cancer. Paige, from Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, said, “I thought she had cancer. You see a lump and you just assume. I was in bits and in tears. For the first few weeks, I thought she was going to die. It was really scary.”
The birthmark was so large that it looked like a second head, and Paige was relieved when it began to shrink over time. Congenital hemangioma can sometimes be dangerous, but in Mila’s case, it did not appear to cause any pain. She used the lump as a makeshift pillow at night and did not display any discomfort.
Now, little Mila is thriving, and the worried mother can breathe a sigh of relief. While this experience was fraught with fear and uncertainty, it ultimately ended with a healthy and happy baby girl.
