At the AiRS Foundation, we work hard to ensure that every woman who’s suffered from a mastectomy due to breast cancer receives the financial help they need for breast reconstruction. Why is reconstruction so important? For each woman, the answer will be different. That is why we sat down to interview breast reconstruction patients to ask them why breast reconstruction matters.
Kelly
For Kelly, a stay-at-home mom of two teenage boys and a pre-teen girl living in Flower Mound, Texas, the most challenging part of her disease was beating cancer. However, questions concerning reconstructive options always lingered in the background. When it came time for her to undergo the mastectomy, she decided to go ahead with reconstruction during the same surgical procedure.
Why? She wanted her body back as quickly as possible.
“If I could not have had this reconstruction…I would not have felt like myself,” says Kelly.
She would have had trouble dressing up for an evening out on the town. She would have been uncomfortable wearing a swimsuit. She wanted to look in the mirror and recognize the woman before her.
Reconstruction options
There are several options for breast reconstruction including implants, autologous tissue breast reconstruction, and a combination of both. Even though tissue reconstruction is slightly more invasive and requires a longer recovery period, Kelly chose that option because she could complete it immediately after the mastectomy.
“I have been super-pleased with the results,” she says.
Ever since the reconstruction, she has felt a sense of confidence with the look and feel of her breasts. Just knowing that they are there, that they will age with her, and that she does not have to feel like something’s missing — makes all the difference in her well-being.
Getting support
Kelly was fortunate to have a family who rallied around her during the treatment process and the reconstruction. However, so many women do not have the same emotional, let alone financial support. That is where the AiRS Foundation steps in.
We provide financial help for breast cancer patients who cannot afford reconstruction, a procedure that, as Kelly says, is so often vital to emotional and physical healing.
How does Kelly feel about her breasts now?
“They look fabulous,” she says. “I feel like I am an improved me.”
Help us help breast cancer patients!
Our work depends on the generous donations of individuals like you! Every dollar counts — even just a $5 donation can make an enormous difference in the life of a woman with breast cancer. Join us in making a difference by making a donation today!
