CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte woman is breaking the stigma around scars through social media and a children’s book. 

What You Need To Know

  • Michelle Murchison, who was self-conscious about scars as a child, wrote a children’s book to help others 

  • "Stars on My Knees" aims to empower children who have scars and reach those who don’t

  • Murchison is also sharing stories about adults with scars on social media

Michelle Murchison is the author of "Stars on my Knees," a new children’s book based on her own journey embracing her scars. 

Murchison has rheumatoid arthritis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it's an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation. In this case, it affects the joints. 

She said it’s not only painful, but it has also led her to have 13 surgeries.

“I probably have 18 to 20 scars from different procedures,” Murchison said. 

In September, she had her most recent surgeries, which she needed due to the damage from her arthritis. 

“[I had] a left ankle replacement and I got my subtalar joint on the side of my foot fused because I had so much arthritis damage in there that I was having spiking pain,” Murchison said. 

She recalls being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis as a toddler and having some of her first scars at age 3. 

“That’s where my tiny scars came from on my knees,” Murchison said. 

She was self-conscious about the tiny scars on her knees back then.

“I would wear pants all the time because I didn’t want other children to see them,” Murchison said. 

Her perspective changed when a babysitter referred to her scars as stars. 

“I was so excited she thought they were cool, and cute and pretty, and from that moment I completely changed the way I thought about my scars,” Murchison said. 

Based on this experience, she wrote her book "Stars on my Knees." Her goal is to help normalize scars and empower those who have them. 

“Your scar has a story and you are brave and strong and that you belong,” Murchison said. 

She said the book is also for those who don’t have scars.

“I hope for children who don’t have scars that they just can become curious about other people and not automatically think of that as different but think of it as unique and something they can ask their friends, if they want to,” Murchison said. 

One little thing she wants to remind people of is that questions are better than stares.

“I think it is more of a mindset of get to know other people, be curious about other people, listen to their stories,” Murchison said. 

Murchison is starting pre-orders for her book in January. People can buy a book and donate another to a patient at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte.

She’s also using her Instagram account to share scar stories from adults, which she said is therapeutic and provides them a space where they belong.