On Wed 16 July we had speaker Steven Bouris speak about how he grew up with a very recognizable Nevus.
Stephen Boris, the guest speaker, shares his personal experience of living with a rare skin condition called congenital melanocytic nevus. He describes the challenges of growing up with a large facial nevus, which drew unwanted attention and made him feel different and alone. Stephen recounts a particularly painful memory from his school photo day when the photographer painted a black square over his birthmark in the final portrait, an incident that deeply affected him for 30 years.
Mental Health Awareness and Resilience
Steven shares his personal experience with mental health issues and discusses the importance of addressing mental health in today's rapidly changing world. He reveals that only 10% of Australians have a resilience score that protects them against anxiety and depression, highlighting the widespread nature of mental health challenges. Ronald emphasizes the need to process and deal with small, isolated incidents to prevent them from compounding and leading to mental illness. He concludes by recounting a pivotal moment in his career as an aircraft maintenance engineer when his unaddressed mental health issues led to a dangerous situation and ultimately resulted in his diagnosis of insomnia, burnout, PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
Embracing Conversations About Challenges
Steven shares a personal story about his experiences with a visible birthmark. He recounts how a friend's question about his childhood led to emotional conversations and revelations with his parents. Steven then discusses the importance of asking others about their challenges, as it can help lighten their burdens. He also shares an experience with his sons, realizing that his fears about their reactions to his birthmark were unfounded. Steven encourages listeners to consider whether they have unaddressed fears or questions in their own lives that could be resolved by simply asking.
Journey With Nevus and Support
Steven shares his personal journey with a nevus and discusses the importance of understanding and supporting others with similar challenges. He emphasizes three steps to improve mental health: sharing burdens, helping others, and seeking perspective on fears. Steven also recounts his experience at a Nevis outreach conference, where he met others with similar conditions, leading him to co-host a Nevis family picnic in Melbourne and launch the Nevis Australasia Foundation. The presentation concludes with technical difficulties during the Q&A session, but attendees express their appreciation for Steven's insights.
Empowering Through Visible Differences
Steven shares his experience of living with a congenital birthmark and how he has used it to help others. He discusses the importance of educating parents and society to remove stigma and provide support for those with visible differences. Ronald emphasizes the value of community and representation, highlighting how meeting others with similar conditions can be transformative. He also mentions his efforts to create awareness, support families, and inspire children by being visible in public roles. Steven notes the positive changes in his family's attitudes and relationships since he began openly discussing his condition.
