With this understanding in mind, Breast Friends York have joined together with members of the public to create a sewing group called Sewn with Love, to make pillows and drain bags which are donated to the Breast Cancer Team at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospital. The Breast Cancer Nurses or ward staff then give the items to patients following their surgery.
Not only do the pillows provide physical comfort after surgery, supporting people to sit and lie down comfortably and protect the surgical area from seatbelts when travelling in cars, they also provide emotional comfort, acting as a reminder that they are not alone, that people out there are thinking of them and that there are others out there who understand and have survived the experience.
The drain bags are strong and designed to hide all of the unpleasant contents of the drains whilst allowing the patient to get on with life, giving them a little more independence and freedom to recover at their own pace. The handles are long to enable them to be worn across the body, over the shoulder or carried by the handle (simply tie a knot in it).