K&J’s Complete Woman offers hope, support to breast cancer survivors
Kathy Garrison has been cancer free for decades now, but her experiences during and after treatment had stuck with her.
One especially impactful struggle for her was in finding a place that sold the prosthetics she needed. That sparked an idea: Why not build it herself?
An invasive mastectomy was required to treat Garrison’s triple negative breast cancer, diagnosed at age 36. Afterward, she chose not to pursue further surgical reconstruction work. However, she struggled to find breast prosthetics and clothing that suited her in the aftermath of the operation. K&J’s Complete Woman, founded in 1990 by Garrison and her friend, Joanne Evans, was the culmination of this struggle.
The company, which has a location just off Route 228 on Castle Creek Drive in Seven Fields, offers all Garrison had been unable to find herself — custom-fitting prosthetic breast forms, bras, compression wear, head coverings, bathing suits and more, all in a comfortable place for shopping.
Since opening, K&J’s Complete Woman has been offering hope to women and cancer survivors during all phases of their treatment and recovery. As a specialty equipment provider, the business often serves as the sole boutique of its kind for women and cancer survivors in Butler and Beaver counties.
In addition to its flagship McMurray store, the business expanded into Seven Fields in November 2021.
Kelly Graham has been store manager of the Seven Fields location since it opened five years ago. However, she has been committed to improving cancer patients’ quality of life for more than two and a half decades.
Graham, who has a background in social work, became a certified mastectomy fitter in 2002, serving Evans City Pharmacy for nearly two decades before transitioning to K&J’s Complete Woman.
“My goal is to help women who are undergoing these life-changing surgeries feel empowered and fully themselves,” Graham said. “We are here to remind them they are special and to help them feel whole.”
Graham and other team members said they feel their role far surpasses medical equipment provision for cancer patients. Rather, their important work within the community acts as an ongoing support system for the women and cancer survivors who come through their doors.
“We don’t want our ladies to feel that they are coming into a sterile medical equipment provider where they are just a patient,” Graham said. “We want them to feel loved and at home.”
The business provides custom-fit, one-of-a-kind garments, but store personnel also advocate for each of the ladies they work with. If a piece of equipment is not covered by a patient’s insurance or if copays are too high, Graham refuses to let anyone walk out empty-handed. She instead makes a phone call to request help from private funders.
“I call them my angels,” she said.
However, Graham said legislation is trending positive for insurance coverage. Under the 2024 Lymphedema Treatment Act, insurance coverage must account for prescribed medical compression supplies and total healthcare costs must be reduced for patients with lymphedema, a swelling that occurs when fluid builds up in body tissue, which is a common outcome for those who have undergone mastectomy surgeries.
“Many of our ladies who have undergone surgery have lymphedema, but insurance wouldn’t cover their compression garments for them,” Graham said. “So, this act is a step in the right direction.”
Support for the women and cancer survivors who shop at K&J’s does not stop after their purchases. Graham said they keep in touch with their customers, offering help and support throughout their healing journeys.
“These ladies are not just patients when they come here. We don’t want them to come in once, leave and never hear from us again,” she said. “We want them to know that we are there for them and that they are our family.”
