Extensive skin surgery will be conducted on a seven-month-old from Wollongong to remove a large, dark, hairy birthmark which covers the top half of her tiny face.

Ruby Ashby is one in 500,000 children born with Congenital Melanocytic Nevus which covers the right side of her face and head.  She will need seven operations to fully remove the birthmark before she is school age.  

“Ruby is like any normal baby, she has such a happy personality and is just perfect,” Mum Natalie told Daily Mail Australia. “We wouldn’t change her but it is important to have it removed before she starts school – she was born with it but it doesn’t mean she has to live with it.”

Natalie continued, “We just want the best for her. We are hoping by the time she starts school the mark will be gone, it takes time though because we have to give time for the skin to heal between surgeries.”

The first operation will take place on January 12 with a cost of $10,000.  The procedure includes inserting a silicone balloon under her skin on a part of her body not covered by the birthmark. The balloon is then slowly inflated with saline over a number of weeks.  The part of her face covered in the birthmark will then slowly be replaced with the excess skin gained from the first procedure.

Her parents Natalie and Ben have chosen to use one of the top plastic surgeons in Australia, because of the sensitivity of operating on such a young child.  They are hoping to raise $30,000 towards the cost of the operations via the Go Fund Me page that has been set up for the cause.  They will also host a fundraising event night in January.

The Go Fund Me page has already raised $12,000 in the few short days it has been operational.  The young family have been overwhelmed with the support and money they have received so far from friends and total strangers.

“In the first day it was so unexpected, we were overwhelmed,” Natalie explained to Daily Mail Australia. “It has been amazing. It was set up for people who couldn’t attend our fundraising night but still wanted to donate but people have been sharing it on Facebook and we have received donations from people we don’t know and a few anonymous ones too.”

Image Source: GoFundMe\ RubyAshbyFundraiser