I’m a mum who lost a leg to cancer – hoaxers stole my pic to make it look like Angelina Jolie
A MUM who lost a leg to cancer was stunned to discover internet hoaxers had stolen a photo of her after her op and doctored it to seem like Angelina Jolie.
Chantelle Cox, 25, posed for the smiling snap in a hospital wheelchair the day after her life-changing surgery then shared it online to show friends and family she was fine.
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Chantelle Cox posed for this snap in a hospital wheelchair the day after her life-changing surgeryCredit: Supplied
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Angelina Jolie’s face was photoshopped onto Chantelle’s photo
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She uses a prosthetic leg after loosing her leg during her cancer battleCredit: Supplied
But she was shocked when it later popped up on her social media feed as part of a fake news story claiming the Hollywood actress was now an amputee following a car crash.
The sick article — which has gone viral around the world — featured Jolie’s head photoshopped onto Chantelle’s body and called it “very sad news”.
Creeped-out Chantelle, of Dundee, said: “You couldn’t make this up.
“As soon as I saw the picture I knew it was me right away — I wasn’t flattered at all by it.
“I was more confused and really concerned that this could happen.
“I wanted to know who made this and why they used my picture?”
We told how the social sciences student’s health problems first emerged as a baby when a lump appeared on her ankle.
She was later diagnosed with neurofibromatosis, which sees tumours grow alongside nerves.
She lost her leg in January after four malignant tumours were found in her ankle and calf that were too big to treat.
Hours after the op she posed for the picture in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary as she felt “so positive” about being alive and no longer in pain.
But it was spotted by fraudsters, who altered it then began sharing the fake story on social media with the headline: “Hollywood reports very sad news about Angelina Jolie”.
Chantelle told how the scam photo even still featured the nurses who were in the background as she posed.
And although she recognised herself immediately, she reckons others might be at first taken in.
Chantelle, who now sees the funny side of the bizarre stunt, added: “To be fair, their editing skills are unreal.
“I’ve been offering to sign autographs for my friends and pose for photos with them.
“The joke is I’ve finally had my dreams come true and become a movie star.
“It’s all very weird though.”
Chantelle, who lives with her partner Jack George, 25, and son Harry George, two, cried on the day of her operation.
But since then the been determined to get back to normal and run around with her boy again.
She’s joked about finally being able to splash out on trainers that fit after a lifetime of problems with her foot swelling up.
The mum was fitted with a prosthetic leg on the NHS in February and launched Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life in May.
She is now fundraising to buy a special artificial limb, which can cost up to £90,000.
