Sole Connections: From One Foot Nevus to Another
- Kimberly Phelps
- Jul 21
- 3 min read
This story highlights the mission of Nevus Outreach: to connect, support, and empower people affected by CMN. Our goal is to ensure that no one feels alone on this journey.
While scrolling through our Nevus Outreach social media for Tennessee nevus locals for an upcoming Nevus Neighbor gathering, I stumbled across a post from July 20, 2011. It was by an AWN, Stacey Peeler, who wrote that she was 24 years old, born with a nevus that covered her entire left foot. She has undergone 16 skin grafts to remove the nevus. Her mother said it was due to the bottom of her foot being “bumpy” and around the ankle was “spongey & hairy”. Most of the skin grafts were completed between the ages of 2 and 4 years old. She posted a longing to find commonality with someone else whose foot was also covered in a GCMN. She thanked those who shared their stories, and she hopes that, in return, sharing her own story will help someone else feel less alone.
In the comments, Stacey goes into detail about how the skin grafts have left her struggling to find comfortable shoes, as the skin grafts even affected underneath her toenails. They have also left her with nerve damage on the bottom of her foot, causing hypersensitivity.
“If something barely touches it, it feels like electricity running from my foot up to my leg.”
Fast forward to 2025
The very same week, a nevus mother (Kayla Rue) posted that her daughter was in need of protective shoes for her foot GCMN. She mentioned the nevus cracks easily when barefoot, which she’d like to avoid as their family is very active outdoors & in the water. Many nevus parents/owners without foot CMN chimed in, but none with CMN of the foot. I quickly messaged Stacey, as this seemed to be within her realm of expertise —the moment when her CMN of the foot journey would shine.
Connections are afoot
Stories like Stacey and Kayla’s remind us of the power of shared experience. When someone with firsthand knowledge offers support, it creates a bond of understanding that medical advice alone can’t replace.
Not only was Stacey eager to assist the Rue family with protective shoe recommendations, based on her extensive knowledge and experience on the matter, but she also signed up for Nevus Outreach membership! She looks forward to our upcoming Nevus Neighbor Gathering in Memphis,TN, as she has never met anyone with CMN before. I encouraged her to engage in the planning of an upcoming AWN event, as well as the 2026 Nevus Outreach Conference. Stacey would be a great resource to help us bridge the gap regarding the conversation of “removal vs. no-removal”, as well as the mental health surrounding how it was ultimately her parents' decision to remove her nevus. I could see Stacey Peeler and Mandy Montgomery attending a Campfire Chat with an AWN host such as Whitney Casal, where we dabble in the discussion of mental health and removals. It is a topic that the community feels is taboo/ does not receive enough attention.
We hope the board will continue to support these vital connections, whether through local gatherings, virtual events, new programs, or expanded membership outreach.
I’m personally so glad this connection was made. It’s a testament to the organic, human-centered work we’re doing—helping people find not only answers, but real companionship and understanding.
As we continue to grow our network, I look forward to helping even more families find these meaningful, life-changing connections in the future.
If you would like to share a story with us, please feel free to use our share your rare link below to help us tell your story to the community.
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