MOREHEAD, Ky. — Students from Appalachia have created a photo exhibit in Morehead to showcase the high risk of cancer and its impact in Eastern Kentucky. 

Students from the Appalachian Career Training in Oncology program have created a photo exhibit called “Cancer in Appalachia: Viewing The Cancer Crisis in Appalachia Through The Camera Lens and the Eyes of Our Youth”. Andrew Davison is one of the students that have experienced cancer firsthand. 

“I became part of the program because of my personal experiences with cancer. My mother experienced breast cancer, my grandmother, both of my grandmother's experienced breast cancer and other forms of cancer. There's a long history of cancer in my family,” Davison said.

The photo exhibit is located in Lexington and on the campus of Morehead State University. Davison said the project was based on one question. “What does cancer in Appalachia look like to you?”

“These are shoes that my grandmother used to wear. They were passed down to my sister as she passed away after struggling with cancer. And these are doctor's notes from when my mom was fighting breast cancer,” Davison said.

Davison's mother, Becky, said in 2015 she was going in for a routine mammogram when she was unexpectedly diagnosed with breast cancer.  

“The thing I take away from that experience is really something someone said to me early on is, you know, cancer does not define you. And I really feel that in a powerful way. That is part of my story, but it is not the only thing about me, even during chemo,” Becky Davison said.

You can find more entries for the exhibit on Instagram.

Looking at the photos, Becky said she's proud of her son and all that her family went through, and reflected on the photos of others who share difficult situations. 

“It's interesting, it kind of pulls you back. When I see the notes from the doctor, our oncologist in UK, it brings me back to those difficult conversations we were having. And, and as a family we were processing, it's a scary, scary time,” Becky Davison said.

From grandparents holding hands, to tobacco fields in Appalachia, these photos tell the stories of cancer in the Commonwealth. Davison hopes this project will shine a light on the impact it has on everyone.