'My birthmark covered 80% of my body - it's adults who have the worst reaction'

EXCLUSIVE: 'My birthmark covered 80% of my body - it's adults who have the worst reaction'Five remarkable women proudly revealed their rare brown birthmarks as they ran the London Landmarks half marathon - keen to encourage people to “love the skin you are in.”NewsLucy Laing Feature Writer and Hannah Britt, Senior Reporter Mirror Features10:00, 18 Apr 2026View 7 ImagesGemma Whyatt has congenital melanocytic naevus (CMN), a rare and often misunderstood genetic condition that presents as large dark brown birthmarksChampioning the cause of people with a visible difference, dressed in fuchsia pink Lycra gear, with backless tops that displayed their birthmarks, five remarkable women ran the London Landmarks half marathon last weekend, revealing their rare brown birthmarks to encourage people to "love the skin you are in." The women were celebrating the launch of the #BareYourBirthmark national awareness campaign, run by the charity Caring Matters Now.‌Runner Jodie Whitehouse, 45, of Liverpool, who is also CEO of the charity, says: “This sends a clear message - confidence doesn’t come from unmarked skin - it comes from loving the skin you’re in. Scars, birthmarks, skin grafts, skin conditions and surgical marks all tell a story and every story deserves to be seen and heard. “‌Jodie was running at the weekend with Helen Stroud, 38, of Harrogate, who also works for the charity; Scarlett Clarke, 20, of Gloucester, who’s studying at music and dance college in London; Mia Deschenes, 19, of Edinburgh, who is studying for an Art History degree and Gemma Whyatt, 31, a doctor from Cambridge.‌READ MORE: Runners urged to 'get knees sponsored' as half suffering painAll five have congenital melanocytic naevus (CMN), a rare and often misunderstood genetic condition that presents as large dark brown birthmarks. Affecting just 1% of newborns, and caused by a non-inherited genetic mutation, CMN can cover up to 80% of the body. Classed as a ‘mosaic disord...