Revealing Resilience, Courage, and Lived Experience
Scar Stories is a compelling photographic exhibit that captures and honors the lived experiences of individuals navigating life with sickle cell disease (SCD). Through a series of intimate, thoughtfully composed portraits paired with deeply personal narratives, the exhibit brings to light the visible and invisible scars carried by those who live with this lifelong condition. Each story offers a window into the daily realities, challenges, and triumphs of individuals whose strength is often unseen.
For many people living with SCD, scars extend far beyond the marks left by medical procedures. They serve as powerful symbols of endurance, resilience, and courage – testaments to battles fought both physically and emotionally.
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COMING SOON
Exhibition Duration:
July 31 – December 6, 2026
Saturday & Sunday | 10 AM – 6 PM
General Admission:
$10 General Admission
$5 Seniors,Full-Time Students with ID & Children 2–17
FREE to Members and Children under 2
“By documenting the physical scars and personal narratives of individuals living with sickle cell disease, this project transforms what is often hidden into a powerful visual testimony of survival, resilience, and strength.”
– Dr. Carolyn Rowley, Executive Director | Cayenne Wellness Center
Scar Stories: A Visual Testimony of Sickle Cell Warriors
Bringing visibility to sickle cell disease: a genetic blood disorder that affects thousands of individuals and families in the USA and millions worldwide, yet remains widely misunderstood and underrepresented in public discourse.
Through the powerful intersection of art, storytelling, and community engagement, Scar Stories creates a platform where the voices and lived experiences of sickle cell warriors can be seen, heard, and honored.
The project seeks to:
- Increase awareness and understanding of sickle cell disease and its daily realities
- Celebrate the strength, resilience, and dignity of individuals living with sickle cell disease
- Foster empathy and cultural understanding within the healthcare system and broader community
- Build stronger networks of support for warriors and their families
- Inspire advocacy and action toward improved care, equity, and research
By transforming personal scars into powerful stories, Scar Stories invites audiences to witness not just the challenges of sickle cell disease, but the extraordinary resilience of those who live with it every day.
“As the photographer and warrior myself, Scar Stories is a true visualization of the aftermath of sickle cell on the human body. As warriors, we bear the scars of battle.”
– Heather Avant, Photographer | Artfully Avant
Behind the Exhibit
Photographer: Heather Avant | Artfully Avant
Heather Avant is an artist, photographer, and sickle cell advocate whose work centers on capturing authentic human stories through powerful portrait photography. She is the founder and owner of Artfully Avant, LLC, a photography studio she launched in 2016 to bring her vision of storytelling through imagery to life.
Originally from southeastern Michigan, Heather earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from Eastern Michigan University, where she developed her passion for visual storytelling and documentary-style portraiture. Her artistic philosophy is rooted in the belief that every person, place, and moment has a story to tell, and that the camera can reveal those stories in ways words cannot.
Heather’s work is deeply informed by her own lived experience as a sickle cell warrior, having lived with the disease for more than four decades. Through her photography and advocacy, she seeks to highlight the resilience, humanity, and strength of individuals living with chronic illness while challenging the stigma often associated with sickle cell disease.
As the photographer behind Scar Stories: A Visual Testimony of Sickle Cell Warriors, Heather captures intimate portraits that reveal both the visible and invisible scars carried by members of the sickle cell community. Her images illuminate not only the physical realities of the disease but also the courage, dignity, and beauty of those who live with it every day.
Through her lens, Heather invites viewers to see sickle cell warriors not through the limitations of illness, but through their strength, humanity, and enduring spirit.
Creative Director: Dr. Carolyn Rowley | Cayenne Wellness Center
Dr. Carolyn Rowley is a nationally recognized advocate, community leader, and visionary dedicated to improving the lives of individuals living with sickle cell disease. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Cayenne Wellness Center, a California-based nonprofit organization established in 2000 to address the critical gaps in services, education, and support for the sickle cell community.
Diagnosed with sickle cell disease as a toddler, Dr. Rowley has spent her life transforming personal experience into powerful advocacy. For more than two decades, she has led initiatives that provide education, mental health support, community health worker programs, and culturally responsive services for individuals and families affected by sickle cell disease.
Through Cayenne Wellness Center, Dr. Rowley has built partnerships with healthcare providers, researchers, community organizations, and government agencies across California to increase awareness, improve access to care, and advance health equity for the sickle cell community.
As Creative Director of Scar Stories: A Visual Testimony of Sickle Cell Warriors, Dr. Rowley brings both personal insight and strategic vision to the project. Her leadership ensures that the stories of sickle cell warriors are presented with authenticity, dignity, and purpose – amplifying voices that have too often gone unheard.
Through Scar Stories, Dr. Rowley continues her lifelong mission to elevate awareness, foster empathy, and honor the resilience of the sickle cell community.
Donor Support
This exhibition and its related educational programs at The CWC Art Gallery are made possible by Cayenne Wellness Center with the support of generous donors like you. To invest in the lives of persons currently living with sickle cell disease and keep this content accessible to all, make a tax-deductible donation today. Your donation will help to provide education and support services for persons living with sickle cell disease in California.
