Weaving connections for breast cancer

A NATIONWIDE volunteer organisation which provides knitted prosthesis for breast cancer survivors now has a branch in Ballarat.

Launched on Friday last week at Ballarat Oncology and Haematology Services, the branch is being run by president Karen Daniell, who said it’s a great initiative to have in the region.

“There’s definitely a need for this in Ballarat. I was going to volunteer my time at the Geelong branch but they said it would be better to just set one up here,” she said.

“We’ve got about six volunteers at the moment but we’re just starting out. We’ve already given away prostheses to four ladies.

“Once we get out and about and known, we’ll be giving out lots of them. This won’t just be for Ballarat, this will be for women in outlying areas with no branches.”

The program was adopted in 2013 from an American initiative, and now has 20 branches across Australia.

Each prosthesis is provided free of charge minus shipping costs and handknitted by volunteers with cotton from Bendigo Woollen Mills.

Knitted Knockers Australia CEO and founder Cheryl Webster said their cotton prostheses are a better alternative to traditional silicone.

“When someone’s had their breast surgery, they can wear it straight away out of the hospital. It’s much cheaper than silicone, they’re not as heavy, they don’t sweat in the heat like silicone,” she said.

“It’s cotton that really breathes, and we get people saying things like I feel normal or confident now. There are some huge hospitals here so women will be able to come to us for this alternative.

“I’m a three-time breast cancer survivor so I can certainly understand and relate to the women. When we put in the breast after treatment if helps us regain self-esteem.”

Since its establishment, the organisation has donated more than 12,000 prostheses with 16,000 registered knitters.