The parents of a boy with a unique birthmark on his face have gifted their son a puppy with a facial marking exactly like his, and the pair are inseparable.
Carolina Giraldelli Cestari, 30, and her husband, João Renato Garcia, 37, live with their 5-year-old son, Enzo, in the Brazilian town of Cáceres, Mato Grosso. Enzo was born with congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) covering his forehead and part of the left-hand side of his face. CMN is a benign tumor-like formation caused by faulty development of the skin pigment.
According to his mom, Enzo’s CMN is a “super rare case,” and his parents follow up annually to see the evolution of his pigment.
Standing out from the crowd can be challenging for a child. Knowing their son wanted a dog, Carolina, and João, who both work in business, kept their eyes open for the perfect pup that would empower their “cheerful and communicative” son to feel proud.
“My husband found a photo on a website of a dog with the same spot as Enzo, and on the same side!” Carolina said. “But that dog was 900 kilometers away. At first we didn’t take it very seriously ... [but] 30 days passed, and we decided to stop by.”
After the long drive to Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, the couple knew they had made the right decision. The friendly four-month-old pup had a marking on the exact same side of his face as Enzo and would make the perfect sidekick for their son.
They named him Manchina. As for Enzo’s reaction, his parents said that he already wanted a dog. However, upon seeing Manchina for the first time he was still surprised.
“He was very happy and delighted to have a dog so similar to him,” Carolina said.
For Enzo, having a dog such as Manchina has been fun since he now has some company. The duo’s favorite activities include fishing with Enzo’s grandfather and playing with other children.
Carolina had a “wonderful” pregnancy with Enzo and was not made aware of her son’s condition until he was born.
However seeing his facial mark for the first time, she felt unconditional love.
Enzo’s parents thought that the facial mark was just something from his birth but it actually stuck with him. They were initially concerned that the condition would affect his body, however, they know it’s just something on his face that requires some care.
“I was so happy that God chose me as the mother of that little boy ... [we feel] very happy to have a son so blessed by God, handpicked with his special mark,” Carolina said.
