Natalie DiBlasio

USA TODAY

When a cancer survivor was contacted by Self magazine asking to use her photo, she never expected to be mocked.

Monika Allen was wearing a tutu when she ran last year's LA Marathon — she was dressed as Wonder Woman — for her first marathon running with brain cancer. The race fell in the middle of chemotherapy and she says the outfit gave her motivation.

Allen makes these tutus for her company, Glam Runners, which donates money to charity. So when Self contacted her about the photo she was thrilled about the publicity opportunity.

But then she saw how they used the photo — in their "BS Meter" to make fun of women in tutus — she was shocked and appalled.

The article puts the photo on the lame side of the "BS meter" and says "people think these froufrou skirts make you run faster. Now, if you told us they made people run away from you faster, maybe we would believe it."

Allen told NBC 7 that "I feel like we were misled in providing the picture. Had I known how the picture was going to be used, I wouldn't have wanted to send it."

The photo shows her friend's bib which reads "Die Tumor Die!!"

Furious supporters have flooded Facebook with images of them in tutus and messages claiming they have canceled their Self subscriptions.

"I am personally mortified," Self Editor in Chief Lucy Danziger told USA TODAY. "I had no idea that Monika had been through cancer. It was an error. It was a stupid mistake. We shouldn't have run the item."

Danziger says she is in the process of trying to reach Allen and will personally support her charity.