Crocheted and knitted breast forms help women heal after cancer surgery
When Claudia Marley began crocheting breast prostheses at age 70, she hoped to provide comfort to women recovering from mastectomies. The work also brought comfort to her.
Marley, now 79, lost her 37-year-old daughter in a car accident in 2005. She also had a couple of cousins and close friends die from breast cancer and other cancers. She was searching for a way to work through her grief while helping others.
Knitted Knockers changed her life.
“Crocheting the knockers has really helped me get through it,” Marley said. “I just needed to have that feeling of helping someone.”
Although Marley has never had breast cancer, she understood the importance of compassion, support and staying busy while helping others.
She learned about Knitted Knockers through a Facebook advertisement. Knitted Knockers’ volunteers knit and crochet lightweight, adjustable and washable breast prostheses that fit inside a regular bra and conform to the wearer’s body. After contacting the organization, she discovered its mission was a natural fit for her crocheting skills and her desire to help others.
Knitted Knockers Support Foundation grew from an effort started in Bellingham, Wash., by breast cancer survivor Barbara Demorest following her 2011 mastectomy. Today, more than 7,700 individuals and groups are registered with the organization, which reaches all 50 states and 76 countries, including Canada.
Over the years, Marley has crocheted and delivered “more bags than she can remember” of her handmade prostheses to Butler Memorial Hospital and cancer care facilities in Youngstown and Farrell. She also has given them directly to women she knows who need them.
At Independence Health System, now West Virginia University Health System, oncology patient navigator Stacy Meyer makes the prostheses available through the support services program for medical and radiation oncology. New patients receive information about available services and may contact Meyer directly, while physicians also can refer patients who may benefit from them.
Meyer has known Marley for years and described her as the program’s main supplier, although other community members also donate handmade prostheses. Because Marley travels from Sharon, the two meet halfway for deliveries. Marley often arrives with large bags filled with the knitted or crocheted items — garbage-sized bags in assorted sizes.
Meyer then turns each donation into a gift. She places the prosthesis in a gold box with pink heart tissue paper, information about the product, and a large pink bow.
“They’re not walking out with them in a Ziploc bag,” Meyer said. “They’re special.”
Women may request the size they need, and the prostheses are provided free. Meyer said some women use them while healing, before they can be fitted for a conventional prosthesis. Others wear a conventional form outside the home but prefer the knitted or crocheted version when relaxing, because it is so comfortable and light.
“It just makes them feel like they’re complete again,” Meyer said. “They can have something so simple to put in a bra.”
Knitted Knockers said that traditional silicone prostheses can feel hot, heavy and sticky, and many cannot be worn during the first weeks after surgery. The handmade forms provide a soft, lightweight alternative.
“Knitted Knockers have been a blessing. They have given me confidence to wear outfits without feeling self-conscious or disappointed because the tops don’t fit well. The soft yarn is awesome,” Nancy F. of Pittsburgh wrote in a public comment on the group’s Facebook page.
Women often learn about Knitted Knockers through doctors’ offices, cancer centers, support groups and word-of-mouth. Others discover the program through social media, news coverage or community knitting groups. Medical offices may order the handmade prostheses for their patients, while women also may request them directly from the organization. The prostheses are free.
More information and a current list of approved yarns and suppliers is available at knittedknockers.org.
