Mariam Petrosyan, a 26-year-old woman, and Taron Petrosyan, her 28-year-old husband, both hailing from the enchanting city of Yerevan, Armenia, were filled with immense joy and excitement as they eagerly awaited the arrival of their precious baby boy.
With hearts brimming with anticipation, the couple’s dreams of parenthood finally came true when their son, Artyom Petrosyan, made his grand entrance into the world. However, their elation was accompanied by a bittersweet revelation when they discovered a unique feature adorning their little one’s body.
Artyom was born with a captivating birthmark, a rare and striking nevus condition that remarkably covered 80% of his delicate skin. The birthmark presented itself as dark, raised, and oval patches, casting a mesmerizing pattern over his body.
In the face of this extraordinary occurrence, Mariam and Taron found themselves embracing their son’s distinctive beauty with boundless love and tender care, cherishing the exceptional journey they would embark upon with their remarkable child.
Artyom Aristakesyan was born with nevus birthmarks of oval patches of raised, dark-coloured skin and also needed surgery for spina bifida.
The youngster was born with nevus birthmarks on 80 per cent of his bodyCredit: MDWfeatures / @baby.boypandaMariam Petrosyan, 26, and 28-year-old dad Taron, from Yerevan, Armenia were warned by doctors they didn’t know how long Artyom would live due to the highly increased risk of skin cancer.
But both were left horrified when doctors told them they could leave him behind if they didn’t think they would be able to take care of him at home.
“We only found out about Artyom’s nevus birthmarks when he was born. I was completely shocked,” Mariam said.
“The doctors had never seen nevus marks like Artyom’s before and they soon realised he also had spina bifida.
“It was all such a blur. They took him away for a ninety-minute surgery to correct his spine and it took five days of recovery before we could properly see him again.”
Little Artyom with his mum and brothers Credit: MDWfeatures / @baby.boypanda
Doctors had even told Mariam and Taron that they didn’t have to take Artyom home with them after he was born.
“I remember them sitting us down. Artyom hadn’t opened his eyes yet and they told us he might never open them due to the nevus birthmarks in that area,” said Mariam.
“They also said they didn’t know how long he’d live for and that if we wanted to, we could refuse to bring him home because taking care of him would be too hard – we didn’t listen.
“Me and my husband finally got to walk into Artyom’s ward. I was nervous.
“My husband called Artyom’s name and we saw him stir – then I called his name and he opened his eyes.”
Doctors have warned he is at risk of skin cancer Credit: MDWfeatures / @baby.boypanda
Artyom’s brothers, Narek, three, and Artur, two asked Mariam why Artyom “had chocolate dabbed on his face”
But after learning about their brother’s condition, they’ve done nothing but protect their youngest sibling.
Mariam says Artyom occasionally receives the odd stare, but others have deemed him to be ‘a gift from God.’
Nevus birthmarks can be removed but it’s rare that they cover 80 per cent of the body as they do in Artyom’s case. He even has nevus birthmarks on his brain which cause occasional seizures.
“Most people are shocked when they see Artyom – some smile at him. Someone also told me he was a gift from God.
