Girl Was Called “Monster” for Her “Batman” Birthmark — Now She Looks Completely Unrecognizable

From her very first days, Luna Tavares-Fenner captured hearts around the world. Born on March 7, 2019, she became known as the “Batman girl” because of the distinctive birthmark that made her unique. At birth, her parents and doctors were struck by the dark mark covering much of her face, which soon came to symbolize Luna’s strength and individuality. Recently, her mother shared a touching update, adding new depth to Luna’s inspiring journey.

Luna was born with a skin condition that results in dark patches, most often appearing on the face.

Luna was born with a congenital melanocytic nevus, which gave her a distinctive appearance from the very start and quickly drew worldwide attention to her story.

Her parents, Caroline Fenner and Thiago Tavares, always viewed their daughter as beautiful. Still, they couldn’t ignore how others reacted — lingering stares, whispered remarks, and even hurtful comments, including one woman who cruelly referred to Luna as a “monster.”

More than anything, they were concerned about the health risks linked to her birthmark, particularly the increased risk of skin cancer. Determined to protect their daughter, they spent two years traveling for multiple surgeries with Dr. Pavel Popov to ensure she received the best possible care.

The little girl underwent numerous treatments and has been through so much.

Back in 2021, when Luna was just 2 years old, she had been cured of the birthmark using pioneering medical methods. Back then, Dr Pavel Popov, who had treated Luna, said, “Luna has already started speaking, and she says: ‘My black spot has gone. I am a princess.’”

Luna’s type of birthmark could give her an increased risk of the most serious type of skin cancer, melanoma.

Melanoma that is linked with these large birthmarks is reportedly difficult to treat, and the survival rate is low, per medical reports. There is a higher chance of it developing earlier in childhood.

Little Luna has been a true fighter, showing remarkable bravery from a very young age.

Caroline faced an incredibly difficult choice when she decided to take Luna to another country for treatment. Many people criticized her, calling her “crazy” for traveling so far and spending so much on the procedures.

However, she explained, “I wanted to avoid the aggressive surgeries that I was seeing with other doctors in the US.”

Focused on giving Luna the best possible care, Caroline and Thiago raised $69,700 to cover treatment at a specialized clinic. They were also supported by an anonymous donor, whom they affectionately referred to as their “miracle.”

Despite countless challenges, little Luna is now thriving, surrounded by the love and care of her family and friends.

After six operations, Luna finally had her birthmark removed, but she faced a serious complication — for six months, she couldn’t close her left eye, not even to blink. At the time, her mother shared, “Luna’s last surgery was highly successful. However, it had the lasting complication that Luna is unable to close her eyes to sleep.”

Today, Luna continues to fight for her health with the loving support of her parents, though the hardest days are now behind her. Her mother, Caroline, has also announced that an entire book has been written about Luna’s remarkable journey.

In August 2024, Luna stepped into a new chapter of her life, and her mom couldn’t have been prouder or happier.

Luna started public school in August 2024, a milestone that filled her mom with pride and deep emotion.

Caroline shared her feelings in a heartfelt Facebook post, opening up about the worries she carried into this new chapter. She wrote, [edited] “When Luna started public school in August, I confess it was one of the most worrisome stages of my life. She had already suffered a lot of negativity from other people and including aggression in the daycare, and starting at a new school with new little friends did not leave me calm.

I had a great conversation with the teacher and coordinators, and to my surprise, everyone in the school ‘embraced the cause,’ and dear counselor Kristen Mosco of Palm Pointe school visited every room next to Luna, explaining her condition and respect. Did this for almost 1 month, opened up a space for everyone to ask Luna questions and leave any curiosity and questioning behind.

My heart is at peace, and my princess never came home sad. Quite the contrary, she wakes up, happy, counting down the minutes to school.

If all educators did this, we would live in a much better world.

Thank you.”

In the summer of 2025, Caroline shared that her daughter had undergone skin graft surgery. She revealed that the procedure was successful and that Luna is now thrilled and excited about her new skin.

Be sure to check out our other article about the little girl whose parents chose to remove their daughter’s rare birthmark to prevent teasing.