Barrack Heights woman Lily De Santis last year packed suitcases containing more than 200 kilograms of breast prostheses and bras and flew to Fiji to hand them out to breast cancer survivors.
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Fifty Fijian women - many of whom had been using pieces of cloth or even balloons to fill their bras after losing one or both breasts - were professionally fitted. Some cried, some laughed and many literally did a song and dance.
"These women, who had suffered from breast cancer and subsequently had a single or double mastectomy, had had little support or follow-up afterwards," Ms De Santis said.
"Some had been without a breast for 10 years and had just been shoving towels or bits of cloth in the spot where it had been.
"It had been difficult for them to deal with - they were always aware of their loss, and it was obvious to everyone else too.
"When we fitted them for breast prostheses they started singing and dancing with joy - they felt they had regained their femininity."
Ms De Santis has been fitting breast prostheses and mastectomy bras for 12 years and had met many breast cancer survivors who had some spare.
"Here in Australia women receive funding for prostheses and end up with spares, while others have reconstructive surgery and no longer need them," she said.
"So I started collecting them, without any real idea what I was going to do with them."
Then she met Bowral resident Heather Tait, who had met a Fijian woman who was using a balloon for a breast prosthesis, and the idea for the project was born.
"Heather was on a mission to find this one woman a prosthesis - which she did - and then she wanted to help more women in the same situation," Ms De Santis said. "I came on board and last June we flew 800 bras and 150 prostheses to Fiji - fortunately Fiji Airways didn't charge us for the excess baggage as we had several suitcases weighing more than 200 kilos."
This year - thanks to many more donations from Australian women - the pair will return to Fiji at their own expense to help a further 108 women who have registered their need. They work with the oncology nurses at a Fijian hospital to professionally fit the women and supply them each with a range of items.
"So we'll be taking a few hundred of the silicone prostheses and more than 1200 mastectomy bras," Ms De Santis said.
"These are items that we discard in Australia after a while, but they can change the life of a woman in Fiji."
Illawarra women can drop off their old prostheses or bras at Cossies R Us, Corrimal, and Alchemy Health, Wentworth Street, Port Kembla, or visit lilyblisstoyou.com.au for details.
lwachsmuth@illawarramercury.com.au