Breast cancer survivor helps others heal through tattoos

BANKS WERE SOLD ONLINE FROM

2016 THROUGH 2022. FROM AS MANY

CANCER SURVIVORS. HEALING

DOESN'T END WITH SURGERY OR

CHEMOTHERAPY.

>> SOME SAY IT DOESN'T FEEL

COMPLETE UNTIL THEY CAN

RECOGNIZE THE PERSON IN THE

MIRROR. IT'S A DEEPLY PERSONAL

JOURNEY FOR ONE FRANKLIN COUNTY

WOMAN AND WHAT SHE KNOWS ALL

TOO WELL. WRAL'S HEALTH

REPORTER, GRACE TEVA SHARES HOW

THE BUSINESS OWNER IS USING

HER SCARS TO HEAL OTHERS WHILE

PUSHING LAWMAKERS ON CAPITOL

HILL TO GET ON BOARD.

>> HEALING HERE.

>> STILL COMES THROUGH A

NEEDLE. THIS ONE

HOLDS 8 AND IS HELD JUST

CELEBRATE 13 YEARS ON MAY 29TH.

>> BY THE HANDS OF SOMEONE

CRASHED.

WHO'S BEEN THERE? I HAVE SCARS

THAT GO ALL THE WAY ACROSS.

AND SO, OF COURSE, YOU'RE

REMINDED THAT THEN I REMIND

MYSELF LIKE

I'M ALIVE.

>> A NURSE BY TREE TURN

CERTIFIED AERIAL ATTACK TO US.

TARA WILLIAMSON STARTED

THINKING TATTOO IN 2014 AFTER

HER OWN PAINFUL EXPERIENCE.

I JUST THOUGHT THAT THIS IS

UNACCEPTABLE LIKE WE DESERVE

BETTER THAN THAT. SHE HAS A

SIMPLE GOAL. GIVE OTHER CANCER

SURVIVORS LIKE HER, A VOICE

INSIDE. IT BRINGS ME SO MUCH,

JOY BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THAT.

I KNOW THAT COLOR SIZE FROM

CHAPIN SHADE TO BACKGROUND

MUSIC. HERE YOU GET A CHOICE

BECAUSE SHE DID. I MEAN, I FEEL

LIKE A WOMAN, EVEN THOUGH I

DON'T HAVE THE REAL PARTS

ANYMORE FOR FELLOW NORTH

CAROLINIAN. BECKY TREMLETT FOR

THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME.

>> I KIND OF SAW ME. I SAW MY

PROFILE A TOUCH UP MORE THAN A

DECADE AFTER HER DOUBLE

MASTECTOMY LIFTED A WEIGHT.

SHE DIDN'T REALIZE SHE WAS

STILL CARRYING AN EVEN SITTING

HERE. I'M SEEING MY SHOULDERS

BACK LIKE I JUST HAVE A LITTLE

MORE CONFIDENCE THAN I DID WHEN

I FIRST WALKED IN THE DOOR FROM

DOWN THE ROAD LIKE THAT KEY TO

OTHER STATES. SHE WAS IN

GEORGIA. OTHER GENERATIONS.

I LITERALLY JUST HAD TO SOMEONE

WHO WAITED 20 YEARS SURVIVORS

WITH INVISIBLE SCARS ARE NOW

PERMANENTLY CONNECTED THROUGH

WILLIAMSON'S WORK BEYOND THE

INK. HER BOOK ANNUAL DAY OF

HOPE CELEBRATIONS ADVOCACY WITH

SUSAN G KOMEN AND THE AMERICAN

CANCER SOCIETY AND A NEWLY

WRITTEN PIECE OF LEGISLATION

TITLED THE TERROR WILLIAMSON

BILL ALL WORK TO TAKE THIS

MISSION.

>> FAR BEYOND THESE DOORS, WE

DIDN'T CHOOSE THAT. CANCER

CANCER LED US TO THE SURGERIES

THAT WE HAD. WILLIAMSON SAYS

SHE'LL GO WHEREVER SHE NEEDS

TO CONTINUING TO GIVE BACK

AFTER A DISEASE TAKES SO MUCH

IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, GRACE TEVA,

WRAL, NEWS. SO WILLIAMSON'S

EFFORTS COME AS THE NEED FOR

SERVICES LIKE HERS ARE GROWING.

THE LATEST ANNUAL REPORT FROM

THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

PREDICTS MORE THAN 11,000 WOMEN

IN NORTH CAROLINA.