A BASINGSTOKE mum who launched a campaign to raise awareness of Mongolian blue spots said she has been “blown away” by the support which has come flooding in since.

As previously reported, Faye Wheeler spoke to the Gazette about her experience following the birth of her son Micah Wright, now seven, after feeling under suspicion of abusing him.

Micah, who is mixed race, was born with a Mongolian blue spot, which are extremely common among Asian children as well as those with dark skin, including people of Indian and African descent, but usually disappear by the time a child reaches puberty.

However, doctors initially failed to recognise that the spot on Micah was a Mongolian blue spot, leaving Faye feeling under suspicion while they investigated.

The mother-of-two recently discovered that many other women whose children have these birthmarks felt the same way, with some even being accused of abusing their baby.

She decided to launch a campaign to raise awareness, and has been amazed by the response, with support coming in from a footballer and members of parliament.

Former professional footballer Kevin Alexander, who played for Boreham Wood and Leyton Orient, got in touch with Faye to say her campaign was “epic”, while Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton, tweeted to say: “I had experience of this 20 years ago, important to make sure it’s a better known condition.”

Thirty-six-year-old Faye was also invited to talk about the issue on BBC South Today alongside Chanté Edwards, another mum who is helping to raise awareness.

Faye told the Gazette: “I have been blown away by the support I have received. People I have never met, thanking me for getting more awareness and education out into the public. David Allard at the BBC has been a huge support. I have made a friend for life in Chanté Edwards who is now sharing some of the work and responsibilities with the campaign.”

She added: “Celebrities and MPs coming forward to show their support has and will make a huge impact on getting awareness out there.

"The message still remains. This is not about being unkind about any organisation. This is not about not reporting abuse. This is about bringing awareness, education, and training for a birthmark. It is about sharing people’s painful experiences so we can learn to handle this better. We all need empathy, especially when we are vulnerable.”

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller has also backed the campaign, taking the matter to health secretary Matt Hancock to ask what can be done to improve recognition.

Faye has now launched a Facebook page called The Blue Spot for people to share experiences, gain information and follow updates on the campaign.