Girl with a “Batman” Birthmark Proves That True Beauty Is Within

Luna Tavares-Fenner was born on March 7, 2019, and quickly captured worldwide attention with her unique birthmark, earning the nickname "Batman girl." Her story became a symbol of strength and resilience, as she embarked on a remarkable journey of treatment and transformation. Recently, her mother shared a heartfelt update, revealing new chapters in Luna’s inspiring life.

Luna was born with a skin condition that causes dark patches to form, usually on the face.

Luna was born with a congenital melanocytic nevus. It gave her a unique look from day one and quickly made her story stand out, gaining attention from people all over the world.

Luna’s parents, Caroline Fenner and Thiago Tavares, always saw their daughter as beautiful. But they also noticed the way people reacted—curious looks, whispers, and even rude comments, with one woman cruelly calling her a “monster.”

Beyond the stares, they were most worried about the health risks her birthmark posed, including a higher chance of skin cancer. Determined to give her the best care, they spent two years traveling back and forth for surgeries with Dr. Pavel Popov.

The little girl underwent a lot of treatments and has been through a lot.

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 real brave fighter starting from her early childhood.

Caroline faced a tough decision when choosing to take Luna to another country for treatment. Many people questioned her decision to travel and invest heavily in the procedures.

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

Determined to give Luna the best care, Caroline and Thiago gathered support from friends, family, and a generous anonymous donor, whom they lovingly called their “miracle,” to help cover the costs of treatment at a specialized clinic.

Despite so many challenges and heartbreaking complications, little Luna is thriving, surrounded by love and care from her family and friends.

After six operations, Luna finally had her birthmark removed, but she had not been able to close her left eye for six months, even to blink. Back then, her mom said, “Luna’s last surgery was highly successful. However, it had the lasting complication that Luna is unable to close her eyes to sleep.”

Now, Luna continues her journey toward better health, supported by her loving parents. With the most difficult moments behind them, her mother, Caroline, shared exciting news—Luna’s story is now in a book.

Back in April 2024, the woman wrote on her Facebook page, “We finally have Luna’s book in English available on Amazon across the United States, Canada, and European markets. I kindly ask you to not only consider purchasing it, but also to share this message with your friends and family.
Every share, every read, and every mention expands the circle of awareness and acceptance, bringing us closer to a world where no child feels marked by their differences, but rather, celebrated for their unique beauty and strength. And specially, that will help us a lot to raise the money we need for Luna’s procedures.”

In August 2024, Luna began the new era in her life, and her mom was so proud and happy about it.

Luna, who is now 5 years old, has started public school in August 2024. Her mom was absolutely happy about this milestone in her little daughter’s life.

She made a post on Facebook, where she expressed all her emotions about it, saying, [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 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.

Thank you”

Upcoming treatment.

The Luna still has many challenges ahead. In April 2024, her mother shared that she had once again taken her daughter abroad to see a doctor. While the previous surgeries focused on removing the nevus and preventing cancer, the parents are now concerned about the aesthetic aspect.

In December 2024, an update appeared on the page, stating that the family was preparing to travel abroad once again for another surgery. Luna's mother shared, "Today I want to thank you for all the help we have always received on our journey 🥰 A month ago, many travel agencies contacted me to help us with flight tickets for Luna’s next surgery. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart 🙏🏽"

Here’s the story of a girl who was born without a nose and faced many challenges along the way.