Mom Gets Criticism, Threats After Posting Baby’s ‘Pierced Cheek,’ Then Reveals the Truth

An undated stock image of an infant. Christiana Bella/Pixabay

An Ohio mom received serious backlash online after she posted a photo of her 6-month old daughter with a stud in her cheek.

However, according to CNN, the photo was fake and photoshopped. The mother was trying to make a point about body alterations on kids, including piercings.

“So I got the baby girl’s dimple pierced!! It looks so cute right?!! I just know she’s gonna love it,” Enedina Vance sarcastically wrote on Facebook. “She’ll thank me when she’s older lol. If she decided she doesn’t like it, she can just take it out no big deal.”

Vance then appeared to respond to the criticism, “I’m the parent, she is MY CHILD, I will do whatever I want!! I make all of her decisions until she’s 18, I made her, I own her!! I don’t need anyone’s permission, I think it’s better, cuter, & I prefer her to have her dimple pierced. Its NOT abuse!! If it was, it would be illegal, but it’s not. People pierce their babies everyday, this is no different.”

She then went further: “MY BABY, MY CHOICE!! PARENT‘S CHOICE, PARENT’S RIGHTS!! Don’t judge my parenting, we all raise our kids differently, it’s none of your business anyway!!”

However, she included the hashtag #sarcasm.

According to CNN, Vance wanted to get parents talking. It turns out that she is a strong advocate against body modifications on children.

“The reaction that parents have when they see this beautiful perfect baby being ... mutilated, that initial shock, that reaction of anger, I want them to hold on to that,” the 35-year-old said.

And perhaps unintentionally, Vance seemingly highlighted how social media posts and photos are easily misconstrued.

“I seriously can not believe how many people missed that this was purely satirical, I actually used the hashtag #sarcasm,” Vance said on Facebook. “Yet people were still threatening to beat me to death, call child protective services, & take away my children.”

There were still some comments on left on the post that criticized her photo.

“How dare you this is child abuse pliant simple if you did it in Australia you will be in jail,” wrote one woman. “Well as long as you can keep in mind that she might just be pissed at you one day, when she’s discovered she’s got a hole in her otherwise perfect cheek forever?.. but... whatever,” another wrote.

Vance said that her beliefs extend beyond piercings or even circumcision.

“No one has the right to alter, modify, or mutilate another human being’s body for aesthetic purposes, not even parents,” she said.

The children, she added, should decide for themselves.

“What 1-week-old is asking to have earrings?” she said. “Just because it looks cute, just because it looks better -- that’s not a good enough reason.”

‘Miracle Baby’ Born

Doctors have called an Iowa baby born this month a “miracle baby” after he was born weighing just 13 ounces—making him the hospital’s smallest baby born in the past decade.

When Jaden Wesley Morrow was born premature at 23 weeks at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, doctors told his parents he was “remarkable,” reported KCCI Des Moines.

Despite being months away from her due date of Nov. 6, Jaden’s mother, Ellonn Smartt had a gut feeling her son was ready to enter the world on July 11.

Smartt returned home from work and told her partner, Jordan Morrow, that she knew Jaden was on his way.

“I think he’s going to come today,” she told Morrow.

Isabel van Brugen contributed to this report.