Ailee was born with a Portwine Stain birthmark, which can be defined as a malformation of blood vessels beneath the skin. Some types of portwine stain birthmarks can be classified as 'Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome' but that requires a full clinical diagnosis. She has become a strong force, championing the vascular birthmark community to bring both awareness and acceptance.

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When asked about her relationship with her birthmark, she noted "As I've gotten older, I realize that I was born to stand out. Right from the start, my parents raised me to have a healthy mindset about being born with an extensive birthmark. The attitude of 'it's just a birthmark' has stayed with me my entire life. Some days I truly have to force myself to take a deep breath before I go out in public, but I continue to put myself out there to help raise awareness and encourage acceptance in a world where normalizing visible differences is finally starting to become trendy".

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In the most positive way possible, she continued "Being born with a visible difference has truly given me an invisible advantage. The next time that you ever see someone with a birthmark, don't stare but instead, smile. They're probably a lot stronger than most people you know, with a heart more kind and tolerant than you can possibly imagine". Ailee knows that curosity is an innate human mechanism and when asked about what she'd like to say to those with questions "A birthmark is not contagious. It cannot hurt/harm you. You cannot catch it. While they come in all shapes, sizes, colours and locations on the body, what you're seeing, is simply put, just a birthmark. Kindly, see mine so that you recognize one on someone else who may not as emotionally equipped to deal with a stare".

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Final thoughts:
"I'm proud of who I am and the unique traits that I was born with. Be proud of your children and your grandchildren. Take a deep breath and don't project your fears about seeing someone different, onto them. Knowledge is power, so empower yourself through education and understanding. What you're seeing today, is a birthmark and attached to it, a human being who like millions of others around the globe with a visible difference, deserves more than a stare."

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