Brian and Natalie Bolinger experienced the fear and frustration felt by parents who don’t know where to find treatment options for a child’s health condition.

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Nicole Bolinger is now 6 and has undergone several surgeries.

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The Corinth couple’s daughter, Nicole, was born with a vascular birthmark (hemangioma), and an organization called the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation helped them find information and a surgeon for treatment.

The foundation, founded by Dr. Linda Rozell-Shannon, is dedicated to helping families afflicted by birthmarks, tumors and syndromes receive proper diagnosis and treatment.

Nicole is now 6, and this Saturday the Bolingers are hosting the sixth annual Angel’s Kiss Gala at The Speedway Club at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth to benefit the foundation and heighten awareness of a condition that is widely misunderstood, Brian Bolinger said.

“I guess because the name of the foundation is Vascular Birthmarks Foundation and most people have a birthmark on their body, that you dismiss it, without seeing pictures or really understanding,” he said.

One in 10 newborns will be diagnosed with a vascular birthmark, according to information on the foundation’s Web site. Some birthmarks will eventually disappear, but others will be serious enough to require a medical specialist. Such birthmarks, the foundation says, can deform facial features, block airways, threaten vision or cause pain.

“Birthmarks typically grow for the first year, and over time they will go away,” Brian Bolinger said. “That’s perfect, except when you have one that’s very large and aggressive.”

Nicole’s birthmark was threatening her vision, he said. Fortunately, the family’s pediatrician diagnosed the condition promptly, and the Bolingers found a specialist who could help.

“Sixty percent of the time, it’s misdiagnosed,” Brian Bolinger said, and misdiagnosis can lead to continued lesion growth and prevent parents from seeking proper help. “Every case is different, but there’s no question that if we had waited she [Nicole] would have been blind in her right eye and needed plastic surgery anyway.”

Nicole underwent six surgeries, and parents need to understand that treatment takes time, but that support is available, Brian Bolinger said.

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Natalie Bolinger is shown with her daughter, Nicole, at age 5 months, before Nicole underwent surgery for her vascular birthmark.

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“Literally, it’s a daily ordeal until you get it fixed,” he said. “It consumes your lives.”

“The part that we feel the most fortunate for is that Nicole didn’t have to grow up with that,” Natalie Bolinger said. “It hasn’t affected her self-esteem at all. She’s a very confident young girl right now.”

This is the sixth year that the Bolingers have hosted the fundraiser, and past events have raised more than $100,000, according to information from the foundation.

The sixth annual Angel’s Kiss Gala will be held from 5:30 to 11 p.m. at The Speedway Club at Texas Motor Speedway, 3545 Lone Star Circle in Fort Worth, and will include cocktails, dinner, silent and live auctions, dancing and other activities. Cost is $50 per person.

This year’s event will help Cleve and Stephanie Ryan of The Colony attend the foundation’s Port Wine Stain and Vascular Birthmarks Conference scheduled for October in California.

Cleve Ryan grew up in Denton, where his late father, Billy Ryan, was a longtime educator and coach. Ryan High School bears his name.

The Ryans’ 8-year-old daughter, Kennedy, was born with a port wine stain on the left side of her face and had undergone numerous treatments by age 4. Funds raised at the gala will allow the Ryans to attend the conference and learn about the newest laser technology and birthmark research.

Saturday’s gala, Cleve Ryan said, is an opportunity to reach out to others who may be going through the same situation his family has experienced.

“It’s always comforting when you meet someone who’s going through what you’re going through,” Cleve Ryan said. “If something affects you, and you’re able to help someone else because of it, that’s important.

“It’s a fun event. You get a lot out of it, and you realize that you’re making a donation. You realize that you’re doing something for others, especially for kids.”

The Bolingers agreed.

“Natalie and I sit on the [Vascular Birthmarks Foundation] board of directors,” Brian Bolinger said. “We talk to parents all the time — from around here, the state, even outside the state. We just give them our story and try and help them out.”

“Our biggest goal is just to let people know they’re [the foundation] out there,” Natalie Bolinger said. “You’d be surprised how many people don’t know it exists.”

For more information, call the Bolingers at 940-595-1800 or visit www.vbftexas.com .

LES COCKRELL can be reached at 940-566-6887. His e-mail address is lcockrell@dentonrc.com .