Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Teen Cancer Survivor Devastated After Her Chemotherapy Port Scar Was Edited Out Of Yearbook

Teen Cancer Survivor Devastated After Her Chemotherapy Port Scar Was Edited Out Of Yearbook
@allisonhalee/Instagram

Allison Hale isn't the average teenager, because at 15 years old she fought and survived a bout with Hodgkins' Lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer.

The battle left behind scars.


But Hale wears them proudly.

However, she was shocked to see not every person understood her scars were a point of pride.

For example, the company who took her school yearbook photos.

After getting her photos back, Hale was shocked to find her most important battle scar was edited out of the photo.

Allison Hale

The scar from where Hale's chemo port was placed, which normally clearly appears on her chest, was gone.

"When I pulled out the photo, my whole face dropped," she said to People.

"I felt like my heart just sunk straight to my stomach because [my port] is so important to me, and it was just erased completely."


Immediately after addressing the image with the photography company, Hale says they were quick to apologize and re-edit the photo to include the scar.

However, Hale said the incident turned her onto how society places stigma on folks with scars—and how she would like to engage with that conversation.

"Everyone looks different. Everyone has something, and everyone is going to have an opinion of themselves and other people."
"You need to stop thinking, 'How do people see me?' and start thinking more of, how do you see you? Once that perspective changes, everything changes."

After five rounds of chemotherapy and 20 rounds of radiation, Allison was cancer free, but the memory of her experience has completely stuck with her.

"I wasn't really self-conscious of having the port because that was the access to heal me, to cure me," she said.

"That's not something that I want to try to hide because that saved my life."


Picture day became important to her once she realized she might never have another one.

"I was just so ecstatic to have another picture and to be able to show the new person, the stronger Allison, that I had become."

Despite the editing job, Hale says the company employees she spoke to were understanding and she understood, in return, their choice to edit out the scar.

However, the scar means so much more to her than just a mark on the skin.

"When I look at my scar now, I feel incredibly empowered, stronger than I ever thought I could be."
"I feel like a beautiful person, not even just looking in the mirror, but just thinking about who I am and how I'm trying to better myself."

Hale has been fully cancer free since June.

We wish her the best for a bright future.

More from News

Karoline Leavitt and Scott Bessent
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Karoline Leavitt Dragged After Making Mind-Numbing Claim About Trump's Tariffs Reversal

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is getting called out after she attempted to justify President Donald Trump's sudden reversal on his proposed tariffs, telling reporters that his actions make sense because he has a master plan to make the world bend the knee.

Trump declared a full 90-day suspension of all the “reciprocal” tariffs that took effect at midnight April 10—except for those on China—in a dramatic about-face from a president who had long championed his historically high tariff rates as permanent.

Keep ReadingShow less
religion signs
Noah Holm on Unsplash

People Explain What Stopped Them From Going To Church Anymore

There's been a perception of a bit of an exodus from religion for the last several decades. But humanity has gone from no organized religions to oppressive religious regimes to rebellion and back again over the last several millennia.

But is the 21st century when religion finally fails to bounce back?

Keep ReadingShow less
Jojo Siwa; Mickey Rourke
ITV

Mickey Rourke Reprimanded After Indirectly Aiming Anti-Gay Slur At JoJo Siwa On 'Celebrity Big Brother'

Dance Moms dancer, Nickelodeon child star, singer, and reality TV staple Jojo Siwa had a rough few months in 2024 over some problematic comments and behavior.

But 2025 is looking brighter as the public rallies to her defense.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barack and Michelle Obama
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Michelle Obama Expertly Shuts Down Baseless Rumors That She And Barack Are Divorcing

Speaking on Sophia Bush's Work in Progress podcast, former First Lady Michelle Obama addressed rumors that she and her husband, former President Barack Obama, were getting a divorce.

Obama addressed the recent divorce rumors for the first time, while also reflecting on the personal choices she’s made since departing the White House in 2017.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kristi Noem
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Kristi Noem Ripped Over Her Lack Of Gun-Handling Skills While Cosplaying As ICE Agent

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was criticized after she had an ICE officer seemingly dodging her aim after she pointed a gun towards his head while filming a video.

In a 20-second video posted to X on Tuesday, Kristi Noem stands flanked by two Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, brandishing a gun. Wearing a vest marked "ICE," along with dark cargo pants and a cap, Noem addresses the camera while the two agents remain silent beside her—though some X users expressed concern for the safety of one of them.

Keep ReadingShow less