Celebrating the beautiful & the bold
Exploring the physical and mental scars of cancer
through photography and film
For those of us who have scars from cancer – whether they are physical, mental or both – we tend not to show them or talk about them.
And yet, the scars represent visually what we have experienced, both mentally and physically. They are the scars that have enabled us to carry on living – they are our scars for life.
And this is why the Scars for Life project is so important to us; it is to show those scars and be proud of what our bodies have achieved.
We Get It has joined forces with award winning photographer Sophie Mayanne, with our We Get It photographer, Holly Webb and with James Stapleton from Jooka Video Production to create an all-immersive exhibition of photos and video illustrating our cancer stories and the scars they have left behind.
Please be aware that this part of our website contains images of a sensitive nature.
CATHY
I want to feel proud of having one breast, not diminished in any way.
The Scars for Life shoot has been a revelation – looking around the room at those involved, you don’t see people whose bodies are ravaged by cancer – you see strong, glamorous people who are saying “here we are, still alive and living well with cancer.”
LISA
My scars so far only represent the start of my journey. I wear my scars with pride and the upmost respect for what my body is truly capable of.
Mentally you learn a lot about yourself very quickly and how deep you're prepared to dig and also, I really don't feel like I'm dying and even though people keep telling me I'm really ill.
We are trying to be positive and hopeful, and I feel that's so important. I can't be surrounded by the sadness because at the moment I'm really alive and live more in the moment.
RACHAEL
They threw “stage 4” at me and various other fearful medical terms but I continued to rise, shine and have hope!
I believe the healing journey cancer has taken me on has been a massive positive learning for me, it’s changed my life to become an adventure and helped me become the person I am today.
GEMMA
I see my scar as a sign of strength, a reminder that I will continue to fight this illness.
The doctor said, “we are pretty sure you have cancer.” I was caught off guard… I felt my world collapsing… life as I knew it changed that day.
Tests showed I was treatable, but I was no longer curable. When you hear those words, it becomes a matter of survival; you just want to live.
Katy
The best thing happened to me… one of the children came up to me in the playground and said “I am really sorry you have cancer, but I really like your headscarf.”
For me, doing the photoshoot and showing my scars has been empowering. I am not ashamed, I am proud of them.
We don’t want anyone to give up on us – it’s about the hope.
Pearl
I woke up the day following my operation and was told the majority of my large colon had been removed and I had a partial procolectomy scar and an ileostomy in situ.
Since then, I have been telling my story in full to raise awareness.
Debbie
When you are having all those drugs, you're either crashing out or high on steroids and can't sleep.
I started a small business through my cancer treatment that grew and still runs to this day. Having activities like my new business really helped.
Standing in front of the camera did make me realise I have put it to the back of my mind and just accept it for what it is, and one day I will get a better reconstruction.'
Leigh
I thought I was having a mole removed and so when they said it was malignant, I was speechless.
We learnt there was further spread around the mole and the lymph was malignant… that’s when things stared to get quite serious and hit home.
I wasn’t daunted by the photo shoot and by being the only male in a group of women. I have made a point of saying to myself to do these things, to not shy away from it and regret not doing it, to do it for yourself and not anyone else.
Julie
My nurse calls it an Octopus, but to me it looks and feels like a hand comforting and supporting me.
I’ve been having kinetic tape put just under my breast and upper back. It lifts the skin and allows a flow of lymph to re-disperse.
I wanted to show that side of my cancer and the after effects, particularly the ways the lymphedema nurse crafted the kinetic tape.
Jenna
Day to day I just get on with my life as if I don’t have it, but I guess when you think about it, it’s quite scary.
The Scars for Life Project has been amazing. I just thought it was a really empowering thing to do and it takes away that fear of talking about cancer. It’s been really liberating to open up and show and normalise it, because I think we need to.
Maria
The surgery had no doubt saved my life.
I found it hard to look at myself for a while post-surgery, but with time I accepted the new me, scars and all.
Today I am happy in my own skin and I wouldn’t be without my scars, they are part of who I am, a cancer survivor, a mother, a wife and a glimpse of hope to others affected by cancer.
Sarah
Just before surgery, they said, “We are going to have to be frank, Sarah, we may have to amputate your leg.”
When they told me I had a sarcoma, a really rare cancer, it felt like a private moment I had to share with too many people – it was tough.
I don’t have cancer any more, but I almost have to live as if I do because of the way my body and mind have been left – and I have grief for the body I lost.
I am really proud of my scars, but I am equally proud of the mental toughness I have shown.
Behind the Scenes
The Scars for Life project was so much more than a photoshoot of people with cancer.
It was a meeting of minds, a bringing together of individuals who were all proud of how their bodies had withstood the rigours of treatment. And it was a celebration of living well with and beyond cancer. The Behind the Scenes photos shine a light on the conversations that were had that day, the laughing, the crying, the tales that were told and the community we have built, together, to support anyone who needs us. They highlight how cancer is simply a chapter in your life and definitely not the whole story.
