Courtney Blackmore was born with cystic hygroma, a birth defect that affects the appearance of her face, leaves her unable to close her mouth and also has an impact on her voice.
At 27 years old, she has faced her fair share of challenges and been bullied for her disability. In September 2023, she and her husband welcomed a baby girl – and Courtney discovered just how mean some people can be.
Trolls Told Courtney that She Doesn’t Deserve to Be a Mom
“I have gotten a lot of hate about me being pregnant and that I don’t deserve to be a mum,” she told KidSpot. “People saying my daughter doesn’t deserve to have her life.”
However, Courtney said that she tries to ignore those types of comments because they’re not “worth her time.” Every once in a while, she does clap back.
“There are moments where I will respond to people and talk to them and be like, ‘Hey, this is not how it goes, and making ignorant or ableist comments is not going to fly with me,’” she added.
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Her daughter, Seraphina Rose Kay, was born healthy. Courtney knew that her daughter wouldn’t be born with the same birth defect as her. “Medically, I had already been tested genetically – we knew that I wasn’t a carrier of my own birth defect, so I was not worried,” she said.
Courtney Hasn’t Let Her Disability Stop Her
Courtney hasn’t let her disability stop her from pursuing her dreams. For example, she met her husband Rayden in 2021 while playing Call of Duty. The two hit it off and eventually met in person.
Soon enough, they moved together to Idaho to start their family. In March 2023, they announced that they were expecting a baby. Courtney has shared highlights from her pregnancy journey on social media, where she has also received plenty of support.
Courtney started posting singing videos on YouTube several years ago, showcasing her passion for singing and pitch-perfect voice. “Singing is one of my outlets,” she shared in a Metro interview when she was only 20. “If I was being bullied or going through a rough patch, it is the way I found to express myself.”
“It’s an expression of me and it doesn’t matter what people say. It is my choice and if people don’t like it, they can just click the next video.”
According to Metro, Courtney went through years of speech and language therapy and has had over 20 facial surgeries. She told the outlet that she is comfortable with the way she looks and wouldn’t have any more surgeries unless it was medically required.
Courtney embraces self-expression and self-acceptance and she also plans on extending that unconditional love to her child. “Even if my child was disabled, I would love my child no matter what,” she told KidSpot.
“For anyone who doesn’t understand people who are disabled who have children, don’t always jump to conclusions, and don’t always think that everything is genetic or that people who are disabled can’t take care of their children.”
