Makeup, long sleeves, hats. Grown-ups are often as creative as they are determined in their pursuit of hiding what they perceive as imperfections.
But when was the last time you saw a child trying to hide a scar?
For kids who have battled illness or injury, scars are badges of honor, signs of survival, fodder for the ultimate round of show and tell at school.
This summer, we asked our patients—and for the littlest ones, their parents—to tell us about their scars in their own words. Their answers were as unique as their journeys, from comical (“I wrestled a shark—and won!”) to profound (“Without my scars, there would be no me.”) We worked with photographer Kate T. Parker to showcase our brave patients and their hard-earned scars.
How the series came to be:
In late 2015, we were elated when photographer Kate T. Parker extended an invitation for our patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to be featured in her Strong is the New Pretty series.
We saw firsthand the benefits to the subjects on the other side of Kate’s lens. They felt special. They felt empowered. Along the way, they also came to better understand their ability to inspire others, including many people they will never meet.
This summer, we asked Kate if she would be willing to lend her talents to a photo series that celebrates the strength of all the kids who walk through our doors. Together, we saw an opportunity to highlight the refreshing relationship between kids and their scars.
With help from Kate’s gifted eye and the spirit of some really tough kids, we set out to inspire others to feel the same about their own so-called imperfections.
