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This Mom "Pierced" Her Daughter's Cheek In Protest

One Ohio mother has received verbal attacks and hate messages since she posted a photoshopped picture of her infant daughter on Facebook. The image of her child with a digitally added "cheek piercing" is part of her passionate protest of male circumcision, which has sparked attacks from the public. The photo has since gone viral and sparked a debate between parents of all different backgrounds on Facebook.

Enedina Vance, a mother of six, has spoken out against circumcision numerous times. However, she was reportedly shocked when she found out that this particular photo had gone viral.

Vance uploaded the photo in question on Wednesday, June 28. It shows her daughter with a jewel stud in her cheek dimple, which Vance later clarified was not a real piercing, but was digitally added.

She sarcastically wrote under the photo:

I'm the parent, she is MY CHILD, I will do whatever I want. I make all of her decisions until she's 18, I made her, I own her. I don't need anyone's permission, I think it's better, cuter, & I prefer her to have her dimple pierced. Its NOT abuse.

Many of the commenters seem to have missed the point of the post, getting angry despite her addition of "#sarcasm" at the end of the post. The photo has since been shared thousands of times and has received hundreds of comments.

According to IB Times, Vance was unaware of the process and reality of child circumcision until she had her first child in 1998. When her doctor approached her with the question of removing the foreskin if she had a boy, Vance said she was surprised:

I was shocked. I thought that parents would be outraged. How dare you ask for my permission to damage my child.

Following this conversation with her doctor, she conducted thorough research on child circumcision at her local library. Her research there built the basis of her rejection and protest of the procedure. She told IB Times that she feels a lack of education is a big part of why the procedure persists:

I'm American but Americans are ignorant. Americans have no idea what an intact penis looks like. They don't understand what they're taking away.

The issue of child circumcision has grown near and dear to Vance's heart. She tells Romper:

No one has the right to alter, modify, or mutilate another human being's body for esthetic purposes, not even parents.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, male circumcision is on the decline in the United States, dropping 10 percent from 64.5 percent to 58.3 percent between the years of 1979 and 2010.

Despite the backlash, Vance appears to be remaining positive about the issue. In another post from Tuesday, she shared her sentiments:

I am absolutely LOVING all the angry face reactions LOL. They may not have read my posts or even the articles, BUT they are helping circulate my posts.

Educating the public appears to be at the center of Vance's efforts in her protests. The continued sharing and commenting on the photos shows that she is achieving her goal, at least to some extent.