Pop star ANASTACIA was too embarrassed to show off her scar from surgery for Crohn's disease until she turned 30, when she realised the mark was a sign of her survival.
The I'm Outta Love singer was diagnosed with the illness - a severe inflammatory bowel disease - when she was just 13 years old, and had to undergo an emergency operation to remove an obstruction in her digestive system.
The surgery left her with a visible scar on her stomach, and Anastacia admits she was ashamed of anyone spotting the mark - but now she sees it as a badge of honour.
She tells Hello magazine, "I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory condition of the bowel... I found a lump in my abdomen and that's when doctors discovered I had Crohn's. I have a four-inch scar on my tummy where surgeons removed this mass from inside. I used to be ashamed of this scar but by the time I was 30 I didn't mind flashing my belly. To me the scar is like a war wound - it proves I survived."