We love it when we discover stories about women who are given lemons – making lemonade. Sometimes it the adversities we face in life which bring out our greatest triumphs. Here are five products invented by women – for women fighting against breast cancer which are a testament to moving beyond surviving – to thriving.
Knitted Knockers
Knitted Knockers are knitted breast prosthetics which comfortably fit into a regular bra and recreate the look and feel of a real breast. Made out of soft yarn and light-weight materials in multiple colors, these naturally contoured fillers are easy to wear and transport. Better yet, Knitted Knockers are produced using volunteers and as such are made available for free to all women who have had breast cancer. The company also distributes patterns knitters who want to crochet or knit their own Knitted Knockers for themselves or a loved one. To date, Knitted Knockers patterns have been downloaded over 325,000 times and the organization has grown to include more than 250 registered groups in 14 countries.
Women in Rwanda learning to knit Knitted Knockers
The Shower Shirt
Lisa Crites, an American broadcast journalist was 42 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Following a mastectomy, she was advised not to shower because of the risk of bacterial infection to her surgical drains from tap water. Her frustration at not being able to shower led her to experiment with various home-made solutions, originally based on plastic trash bags. After five different prototypes she finally came up with the design for the Shower Shirt, a water-resistant garment which allows patients suffering from a variety of conditions to take a shower safely. Now FDA approved it has improved the quality of life for thousands of patients around the world.
Lotus Dragon Tattoo Armsleeve
The Lotus Dragon Tattoo armsleeve by LympheDIVAs is edgy and eye-catching. With a colorful dragon and lotus flower pattern, this look is fierce. With its moisture-wicking fabric and 360° stretch, the last thing you need worry about is comfort and fit. Lotus flowers are a beautiful metaphor for life as we know it. From murky waters, this beautiful blossom emerges.
Armsleeve for those with lymphedema, a side effect of breast cancer treatment
Chemocessories Gift Sets
The mission of Chemocessories.org is to help women with cancer hold on to their strength and sense of themselves during treatment. The company has given over 7,000 giftsets to women in all 50 states over the past 8 years. Chemocessories makes personalized kits including jewelry, scarves and turbans, that are designed to lift the spirits and remind each woman that treatment for breast cancer in no way diminishes the beautiful person she is within. You can gift these (free) to someone you know who has gone through chemotherapy by just going to the Chemocessories site and filling out their request form.
AnaOno Bras
AnaOno Founder and designer (and survivor) Dana made it her mission to design products specifically for women who have had breast reconstruction, breast surgery, mastectomy, or living with other conditions that cause pain or discomfort because she believes that beauty and comfort should not be a compromise. AnaOno aims to bring together a community of women thriving at all stages of their journey with breast cancer, offering women breast cancer bras and apparel for those undergoing a mastectomy, reconstruction, a lumpectomy or any other kind of breast surgery.
Thrive on survivors!
