Holly Carter, Beloved “Face of Cancer” Who Turned Survivors Into Supermodels, Passes Away After Decade-Long Battle

“Holly, You have always been so brave never backing away from what you believed in. Your friendship has been a blessing to me and memories will live forever,” wrote one donor named Stuart.

“My dearest friend so very sad for you and your family. You are the most wonderful strong beautiful person that I know we love you Holly,” wrote another named Terry.

It’s clear that the work Holly did with The Face of Cancer touched a huge number of lives. Holly explained her story, and why she created the non-profit in a moving Instagram post last July. “Stage 4 cancer patient, turning 50 this year, battling the disease since 2009. Countless surgeries, chemo, radiation and radical mastectomy stole her femininity and sense of beauty,” the post reads. “Determination and belief that she could take back what the cancer stole and feel like a woman again fueled her journey. Now she fights to help other women battling aggressive cancer reconnect with their sense of femininity.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Stage 4 cancer patient, turning 50 this year, battling the disease since 2009. Countless surgeries, chemo, radiation and radical mastectomy stole her femininty and sense of beauty. Determination and belief that she could take back what the cancer stole and feel like a woman again fueled her journey. Now she fights to help other women battling aggressive cancer reconnect with their sense of femininity. #faceofcancer #beautiful #modeling #photography #makeup #feminity #hope #cancer #cancerfighter #chemo #radiationtherapy #mastectomyscars #scars #story #skincare #plasticsurgery #reconstruction #life #love #victory #dreams #Vision #cryotherapy #exercise #water #Lemon #alkaline #vogue #victoriasecrets

A post shared by Face Of Cancer (@faceofcancer) on Jul 3, 2018 at 3:29pm PDT

The message Holly dedicated her life to sharing is one that resonates with many cancer survivors. So many members of the SurvivorNet family have told us that while health was obviously priority #1, the way cancer can take a toll on your self confidence is a massive struggle when battling the disease. Luckily, there are resources for women as they grapple with the physical side effects of cancer. Caitlin Kiernan, a breast cancer survivor herself, wrote a book called “Pretty Sick” that offers tips and solutions from top beauty experts on how to look great on the outside, even when you’re not feeling great on the inside.

"The whole point is, you're fighting to stay alive … you're fighting for this life, and then you wanna live it.  You don't wanna feel uncomfortable living it," Caitlin told SurvivorNet. "It's not a vanity issue. It's really a quality of life issue. Feeling beautiful isn't about beauty."

In Holly’s case, she was able to feel good about herself again by helping others remember how to feel beautiful. Her close friend, Jerry Duncan, who worked with Holly for The Face of Cancer, said he hopes that will be her legacy, according to Fox26.

“I think if people understand that and do that and reach out and help others, I think Holly’s legacy will be phenomenal and forever impacted in this community.”

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

---