When she was just eight months old, her parents made the decision to embark on a 6,000-mile journey in order to seek help for their daughter, Luna Tavares Fennel. In 2019, Luna traveled to Russia for a pioneering surgery to address her rare skin condition, giant congenital melanocytic nevus (GCMN), which resulted in dark pigmentation on parts of her face.
However, complications with her visa necessitated Luna’s premature return to the United States, weeks before her final operation could take place. GCMN affects only 1.5% of the global population and puts those affected at a higher risk of developing a cancerous melanoma. It took doctors six days to diagnose Luna’s condition after her birth in March 2019.
Carol, Luna’s mother, expressed her disbelief, stating, “I was in complete shock. When Luna was born, no one in the room knew what the condition was. My last ultrasound before delivery had not revealed anything abnormal. I have also received a lot of encouragement, with people telling me that Luna is beautiful. When people say she looks like the superhero Batman or a butterfly, it makes me happy. Luna is doing very well. She is making many new discoveries, trying to walk, dance, and imitating everything I do.”
Two years ago, a Russian surgeon contacted Luna’s parents, offering to help. However, their hopes were dashed when their visa expired, forcing them to return to the United States. The final operation had to be postponed, and now they face an agonizing wait to find out when they can return to Russia for Luna’s remaining surgery.
Carol took to her Instagram page to share the news of their return home, stating, “We had three days to buy the ticket and return home because our visa expired yesterday. I thought we could finish all the surgeries, but no. Now it’s time to wait for the Russian consulate’s authorization to return soon.” The doctors have declared that there are complications since Luna’s nevus has grown in her eyebrows, necessitating their removal. However, they have assured that these difficulties are temporary and that Luna will return for the final procedures.
Luna, born in South Florida, has become known as the “Batman girl” due to her striking birthmark. Carol had previously been informed by doctors in America that removing the mark would require around 100 high-risk laser surgeries.
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