Men & CMN: The Way We Carry It- Nevus Owner Luis Mojica-Rodriguez's Story

At just 10 months old, Luis Mojica Rodriguez was already fighting for his future.

Born with Congenital Melanocytic Nevus (CMN), a rare condition that covers nearly 60% of his body in dark birthmarks, Luis’s journey began long before he could understand why people stared at him differently. Large nevi stretched across his chest, arms, legs, and face, while another once covered his entire back before it was removed through extensive surgeries and skin grafts.

In Puerto Rico during the 1980s, doctors did not know how to properly treat CMN. They warned Luis’s mother about the possibility of cancer and told her his condition was serious. Determined to find answers, she made the difficult decision to leave Puerto Rico and move to New York City when Luis was still a baby.

There, doctors at Bellevue Hospital attempted to treat his condition, but even they had limited knowledge about CMN at the time. By the age of three, Luis had already undergone multiple surgeries, including major reconstructive procedures at Massachusetts General Hospital and Shriners Burn Hospital. Surgeons removed the giant nevus from his back and replaced it with skin grafts taken from his thigh and foot.

Recovery was painful and exhausting. Eventually, after watching her son endure years of surgeries, infections, and physical suffering, his mother decided to stop pursuing additional procedures and focus instead on giving him the best quality of life possible.

Growing Up Feeling Different

But surviving the surgeries was only the beginning.

Growing up with visible differences in the 80s and 90s was isolating. Luis was bullied relentlessly throughout childhood. He was mocked, excluded, physically attacked, and treated as though he was less worthy because of the way he looked.

Kids called him names like “oil spill,” “spots,” “monster,” “wolf boy,” and “chia pet.” He remembers classmates refusing to pick him for sports teams. Girls who liked him often backed away out of fear of what others would say. At times, he laughed along with the insults simply to feel accepted.

“As a kid, I hated being different,” Luis shared. “I thought I was ugly and weird.”

The emotional toll followed him everywhere. Frequent surgeries caused him to miss school often, leaving him feeling academically behind and socially disconnected. Over time, the constant rejection turned into anger.

By middle school and high school, Luis had developed a reputation for fighting back against the bullying he faced daily. He transferred schools' multiple times trying to escape the harassment, but the abuse followed him.

Even opportunities outside of school became painful reminders that the world viewed him differently.

During a high school career day, Luis expressed interest in working at an airport. In front of his classmates, he was told the only job someone “like him” could have would be in baggage claim- somewhere customers would not have to see him.

Later, while working in restaurants and retail, he faced similar discrimination. Customers complained about being served by someone with visible birthmarks, and employers quietly stopped scheduling him.

Still, Luis kept pushing forward.

Cancer, Rejection, and a Turning Point

At 17 years old, another life-changing moment arrived.

While working on a biology assignment about cancer, Luis noticed that many of the symptoms he was researching matched changes happening in one of his own birthmarks. Alarmed, he told his mother and went to the doctor.

A biopsy confirmed melanoma.

Luis underwent surgery to remove the cancer from his leg. Recovery was long and difficult. He spent eight months on crutches and was left with a limp that would follow him for nearly two decades.

Yet even after surviving cancer, another devastating rejection awaited him.

Inspired by his father’s military service, Luis dreamed of joining the Navy. He trained hard, passed his physical exams, and prepared himself for enlistment. But after completing the process, a military doctor pulled him aside and told him something he would never forget: “The uniform doesn’t look right with your birthmark.”

Luis was devastated- But that moment became a turning point.

“That was the last time I let my birthmark stop me from doing anything.”

Reinventing Himself on the Runway

After graduating high school, Luis focused on rebuilding his life. He studied criminal justice and paralegal studies, eventually building a successful 17-year career as a paralegal in New York City. He worked his way up from calendar clerk to managing departments in both the Bronx and on Wall Street.

Then the pandemic changed everything.

Like many others, Luis suddenly found himself unemployed and uncertain about what came next. But instead of retreating, he chose reinvention.

For years, people had told him he could never become a model or actor because of his appearance. This time, he refused to listen.

Luis enrolled at the John Casablancas Center for modeling and acting, determined to challenge every limitation that had ever been placed on him. Through intense runway training, something unexpected happened: the limp he had carried for years began to disappear.

For the first time in his life, he felt fully confident in his body.

Soon after completing training, he competed at the International Modeling and Talent Association (IMTA), where he won an improv acting award among 1,000 competitors. From there, opportunities began growing rapidly.

Luis started walking in New York Fashion Week, appearing in magazines, landing billboards in Times Square, Las Vegas, and Miami, and winning multiple modeling competitions across the country. What once made him a target for ridicule was now the very thing setting him apart.

Designers, audiences, and photographers finally saw what Luis had spent his entire life trying to prove: Difference is not weakness. Difference is power.

Choosing Visibility Through Every Challenge

But even as his career accelerated, life tested him again.

A serious medical emergency nearly cost him his life and left him requiring an ostomy bag and a lengthy recovery process. For many people, it would have ended their momentum completely.

Luis returned to the runway anyway.

Only two months after surgery, he walked in New York Fashion Week again- ostomy bag and all- refusing to hide himself or his story.

That resilience has become the foundation of everything he does today.

Through modeling, acting, coaching, advocacy, and public speaking, Luis now uses his platform to empower others living with visible differences, chronic illness, and insecurity. He visits hospitals, speaks with families affected by CMN, participates in charity events, and encourages people to embrace themselves unapologetically.

One message in particular deeply impacted him. After sharing his story publicly online, someone reached out to say they had been considering suicide because of bullying related to visible differences. Seeing Luis openly embrace his CMN changed their perspective and gave them hope.

In that moment, Luis realized his story was bigger than himself.

“I knew then that I had an obligation to help others.”

A Legacy Bigger Than Himself

At the center of that purpose is his son.

Luis says fatherhood changed the way he viewed his journey. He no longer focuses only on what he endured, but on what he can model for the next generation: confidence, resilience, vulnerability, and self-worth.

He speaks openly about mental health, especially for men navigating pain silently.

“Real strength doesn’t come from silence,” he says. “It comes from being honest about your pain.”

Today, Luis proudly calls himself an “Empowerment Model.” His mission- what he refers to as the “More Empowerment Movement”- is centered on helping others stop hiding who they are.

His message is simple but powerful:

“If you have something that was once considered a disadvantage, turn it into your advantage.”

From a little boy who once hid his skin and feared being seen, to a man now walking runways in front of thousands, Luis Mojica Rodriguez is proving something the world desperately needs to hear:

Birthmarks are beautiful.

Diversity is powerful.

And being different is something to be seen.

---

💡 Want to connect with other CMN families, find trusted resources, or support research? Visit Nevus Outreach to learn more, join our community, share your story, or make a gift today.