I Lost My Nose to Cancer

SENIOR COPYWRITER AND FILM DIRECTOR. I help company owners humanise their brands by telling authentic, immersive stories that inspire, entertain and educate us.

Shiona Penrake cut and graded this piece of content for the Truly series at Future Plc.

Cancer took Tina’s nose but not her fighting spirit. After the 43-year-old from Texas was diagnosed with nasal cancer, she made the difficult decision to undergo a full rhinectomy to remove her nose.

At first, Tina struggled with how she looked to others and wore a prosthetic, despite it being uncomfortable for her to do so. But with the support of her loving husband and children and an incredible determination to strengthen her self-confidence, Tina embraced her beauty.

Today she is inspiring others. Tina told Truly: “From the moment we're born, society tries to fit us in a box of what is acceptably beautiful, what is acceptably appeasing to the eyes, and I want to shatter that box. I want to destroy it. I don't want anybody to ever feel like they're not beautiful.”