Our Support Contact Team are available to:
Don’t feel alone – get in touch with your local support contact.
Click here to read some Frequently Asked Questions.
Our team of Regional Contacts consists of 14 parents who have first-hand experience of parenting a child with CMN. The regional contacts are located across the UK and Ireland.
Our team of Adult Contacts consists of 3 adults living with CMN. The adult team are available to chat with our adult members, share experiences and answer your CMN-related questions.
Our Teen Contact is a young adult living with CMN. Our teenage members can reach out for advice or just to chat and share experiences.
Click on the map to view all regions
Katy Cooper (Jackson) is our Young Adults Contact, providing support for those aged 17–24 years.
My name is Katy, and I live in Hertfordshire. I was born with a CMN on the back of my right knee, which covers about a third of my leg. You can read my story here. My family have been involved with Caring Matters Now almost since the beginning, and now I’m an adult I’m excited to be able to get involved on my own. I’m so honoured that I’ve been given the opportunity to be the Young Adults Contact. I am primarily here to provide support to our older teens and young adults, those aged 17 – 24 years, so if you would like to have a chat, I’m here to listen!
“There’s a tiny part of me that wishes my parents had decided not to have the laser surgery, but I completely understand why they did. The expert medical advice at the time was that the laser surgery was a small operation… Because I had that surgery, my CMN also has a slightly different appearance to CMN that haven’t had any surgery.”
My name is Stacey and I live in Kent. I have a bathing trunk nevus and multiple satellites on my face and body. I found Caring Matters Now when I went to the How Do You C Me Now exhibition in March 2019. Until that day I had never met anybody with the same skin as me. However, since I have made some wonderful new friends, attended gatherings and learned a lot about CMN through this amazing charity. You can read my personal story here.
I am proud to be an adult support contact for Caring Matters Now and if you have any questions or you just want to chat please contact me.
“I found Caring Matters Now when I went to the How Do You C Me Now exhibition in March 2019. Until that day I had never met anybody with the same skin as me.”
My name is Anne, I live in Scotland and I have CMN covering my back with multiple moles mainly on my legs. You can read my personal story here. I am delighted to be part of the Adult Contact Team and to offer a listening ear to others affected by CMN. If you would like to speak to another adult with CMN, I would be really pleased to hear from you.
“There was very little information available for my parents when I was born other than to keep me out of the sun. For about the first 35 years of my life I thought I was the only person who had this type of birthmark.”
Katy Cooper (Jackson) is our Teens and Young Adults Contact, providing support for those aged 17–24 years.
My name is Katy, and I live in Hertfordshire. I was born with a CMN on the back of my right knee, which covers about a third of my leg. You can read my story here. My family have been involved with Caring Matters Now almost since the beginning, and now I’m an adult I’m excited to be able to get involved on my own. I’m so honoured that I’ve been given the opportunity to be the Young Adults Contact. I am primarily here to provide support to those aged 17 – 24 years, so if you would like to have a chat, I’m here to listen!
Sophie McCrudden is our Teen Contact, providing support for those aged 12-17 years.
My name is Sophie and I live in Hamilton, Scotland. I was born with a CMN covering one side of my face and half my scalp. My family and I have appreciated the support from Caring Matters Now since I was young and now I am so happy to be given the opportunity to support others. I am here to help so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Hello, my name is Hayleigh and I’m Mum to Anna-Grace who was born with a Giant CMN with central nervous system involvement. Anna is now a beautiful young lady of 17. When Anna was born, I felt overwhelmed with the challenges that faced us. I know how daunting this can be, and my heart goes out to you parents facing the challenges that neurological complications can bring. Caring Matters Now have always given us the support that we needed. I wanted to give something back and support other parents that are on a similar journey. You can read our story here. Please feel free to contact me.
My name is Francine and I live in Liverpool with my husband Mark and our 2 young girls. My youngest daughter has a giant CMN that covers part of her back, tummy and upper legs. You can read our Personal Story here.
I am the support contact for North West and North Wales as I live in Formby, so only a short drive away. It would be great to see you at our regional gathering over the next 12 months. Please do get in touch anytime if you have questions about CMN or you just want to talk.
My name is Louise and I live in Surrey with my husband Hugo and my two children, James and Charlotte.
Charlotte was born in 2010 with a large scalp CMN and we have been part of the Caring Matters Now charity since she was six months old. Just before she was two, Charlotte underwent a part-removal (and skin graft) of the main CMN from the side of her face. The surgery took place at Great Ormond Street Hospital and we have been very pleased with the results.
Please do get in touch if you have any questions or you’d just like some friendly support.
My name is Jenny Deschenes. Our family live near Fort William in the Highlands, I am originally from Shetland and my husband Olivier is from France. My daughter Mia was born with a giant CMN in 2006. Caring Matters Now has been the most amazing resource and support for us as a family. If you have any questions, please do get in touch.
Hello! I’m Lorna, I am mum to 3 boys and 1 girl. Our daughter is our youngest child and was born with a giant Congenital Melanocytic Nevus of which we had never heard and knew nothing about until after she was born. Initially the midwives and doctors could not give us any information and so, Caring Matters Now was a fountain of knowledge, clarity and support to us in those early days and we really are grateful for that. We live in Glasgow and I’d be happy to chat with anyone requiring support from my region.
Hi, we are Luke and Helen Selwood and we live in Barnsley, South Yorkshire with our 2 children Lois and Miles.
Lois is our eldest child; she was born in 2010 with a bathing trunk Naevi. We were never prepared for, or aware, of the possibility of having a child with CMN. When Lois was born, we were soon introduced to Caring Matters Now and referred to Professor Kinsler as Great Ormond Street where we then started to understand all about the condition.
Caring Matters now has, and continues to be, a huge support for us as a family and hopefully for Lois as she becomes more independent throughout her teenage years. Having the experience of being parents of a child with CMN, we understand the concerns and the unknowns of both Mum and Dad, aswell as that of a growing and curious child. We are, and always will be, learning and adapting to life with CMN so when given the chance to be Regional Contacts for the North East we were so pleased to be given the opportunity to help others living with CMN and share our experiences to date.
Having the option to speak to someone in the early years was invaluable and we hope to provide the same support and assurance to other members. If you ever want to have a chat, or have any questions about CMN, please don’t be a stranger, we are both happy to help!
Luke and Helen Selwood
Hi, my name is Michelle and I live in Liverpool with my partner Rob and our 3 daughters. Our youngest daughter Abigail was born in 2015 with a large CMN covering the back of her neck, back and part of her chest (known as a Cape CMN), she also has numerous satellites covering other parts of her body.
We found Caring Matters Now when Abigail was 6 months old, and I felt such a weight off my mind. Being able to speak to others about anything and everything. I have been part of every regional gathering over the years, thoroughly enjoyed them and have met lovely families.
Over the years Abigail has been back and forth to Hospital and has recently had surgery on her CMN. She is such a confident, bubbly, amazing little lady and after you’ve met her you wouldn’t forget her!
I was so honoured when I was asked to be Regional Support for the North West and Wales. If you ever want to chat or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, I would love to hear from you.
Hello, my name is Emma and I’m from Ellesmere, a small town in Shropshire. I live here with my husband Karl and our beautiful twin daughters, Isla and Ruby, who are 6.
Isla was born in 2016 with giant CMN covering her back and multiple birth marks around her body. While I was in hospital with our new-born babies my husband come across Caring Matters Now online and they have been there for us as a family ever since.
We love to raise awareness of CMN, raise funds for Caring Matters Now when we can, and attend the regional gatherings which we have found to be very beneficial as well as lots of fun. I am very excited to be part of organising the regional gathering and highly advice members to come along, say hello, make new friends, and have a fun filled day.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch, even if it’s just to say hello. Whether its CMN related or just general chitchat I’m here!
Hi I’m Rachelle I live in Essex with my husband and 3 children.
Ada my youngest has CMN on around 70% over her body, mainly on her back.
We first got in touch with Caring Matters Now when Ada was 8 days old through Professor Kinsler at Great Ormand Street. Ever since Ada was born I have wanted to help and raise awareness. Caring Matters Now have helped us in so many ways and still continue to do so.. a bond we will have forever!
We would be lost without them, so when they asked if I would be a Regional Contact for East Anglia, I was touched beyond words and so pleased to help others.
So, if you ever want to have a chat or have any questions about CMN please don’t be a stranger!
You can see more about our story here.
My name is Fiona and I live in Stroud with my two grown up children. My 18 year old son, Callum has a large CMN covering the whole of his right arm. We were fortunate to be signposted to Caring Matters Now when he was a baby and have enjoyed being part of the group whilst Callum was growing up.
I am the regional contact for the West of England & South Wales and I live in Gloucestershire. It would be good to hear from you if you have any questions about CMN or would just like a chat.
It would also be good to see you at a regional gathering.
My name is Dahlia and I am the regional support contact for London. I live in North London with my husband, 2 sons and our beautiful daughter, Alicia. Alicia was born with CMN syndrome in 2020. Her largest naevus is on her forehead/scalp area and lower back, and she has multiple smaller ones dotted around her legs and body. She is a very happy and confident girl and the condition does not affect her at all.
When she was born, it was the first time we had seen CMN. It wasn’t something we were familiar with, so it did take a little time to take in all the information online to learn and understand what it means for Alicia – and it even got us reading Dr Kinsler’s research papers! When we came across Caring Matters Now, we were so grateful to have found such a friendly and supportive charity based in the UK dedicated to CMN. Connecting with people born with CMN and their families, creates an immediate bond and brings a sense of familiarity and understanding.I will be organising the annual gathering in the London area and I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me with any questions or concerns you may have. I am only an email away and I will do my very best to be there for you and your families, and help with anything you may need.
I’m Colin and I live in Plymouth with my wife, Sheila, and our daughter who is 16 and has CMN. I’m the regional contact for south west England. The friendship, care and support over the years from Caring Matters Now and from Dr Kinsler at Great Ormond Street have made a big difference to us, so please feel free to get in touch for any help or information you need, or just for a chat.
Hello. My name is Diane and I am the regional contact for South East. I have been involved with Caring Matters Now for nearly 24 years following the birth of my daughter, Katy, with a CMN on her leg. Katy is now a member of the Teen & Adult Support Team, and my husband, Rob, is a trustee of the charity. It would be great to see you at a regional gathering over the next 12 months. Please do get in touch anytime if you have questions about CMN or you just want to talk.
Hi, my name is Sinead McGlone and I am from Glengormley, Northern Ireland. I live with my husband Robert and our five children. Our third child Jude was born with large hairy CMN on both legs in April 2015. Jude has attended Great Ormond Street Hospital yearly and we have been part of the Caring Matters Now (UK) community since he was born, and it has become an important part of our family. I am honoured to be given the opportunity to help others and would love to hear from anyone who would like to reach out with any questions or just a chat.
Caroline Hackman is the Support Contact for our sister charity Caring Matters Now Ireland and, is available to provide support to families affected by CMN living in the Republic of Ireland. Caroline lives in Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow with her husband Jason and their 4 children. Caroline’s daughter Lauren, who is 15 years old, has CMN. Caroline and her family have been actively supported by Caring Matters Now (UK) since Lauren was four years old. Caroline understands first-hand the value of the support provided by the charity along with the long-term benefits for Lauren herself.
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My name is Simone Araujo and I am the International support contact for Caring Matters Now.
I have a son Mateus who is 8 years old and has a bathing trunk CMN. I attended my first CMN Family Day in Cambridge when he was 6 months old. Just after we saw Dr. Kinsler and she told us about this group, and since then we try to attend and help as much as we can and trying to learn more about CMN condition.
We started building our relationship with the CMN family since our first meeting.
We realised they were doing an amazing job, supporting other families, so we decided to do whatever we could to help and thanking them for helping us at the crucial time.
I was delighted when they invited me to join the Support Contact team, despite being a bit hard as english is not my first language. But I promise to try my best.
My son is very confident and a happy boy. At the moment the condition does not affect him at all. He lives a very normal life and attend some activity classes. He keeps himself very active.
I am here for your support, or just to have a general chat about CMN. I can help you to communicate with other members of the group who may have had the same experiences or difficulties as you, or members who live locally to you and may have children of similar age, allowing you the opportunity to build friendships.
We have a large number of registrations from all around the world and we are connected to other CMN groups around the world, so I can help connect you with peope in your own country.
