Saaisha India's BREAST PROSTHESIS ARE UPLIFTING MANY CANCER PATIENTS

How does a woman feel after a mastectomy? Apart from the physical pain that goes on during and after the process, the emotional pain of losing breasts can leave a woman shattered.

Some women say that they feel less feminine and attractive, followed by the loss of a positive self-image. While there are synthetic prostheses available in the market, knitted knockers by Jayashree Ratan, are non-allergic. These are crocheted or knitted prostheses which go easy on the skin that has already been surgically repaired.

In a candid conversation with Jayashree Ratan, we got to know how her charity organisation, Saaisha India Foundation uplifts the lives of many cancer patients in the world.

1. What inspired you to establish the Saaisha India Foundation?

From a very young age, I was keen to provide social service. I'd go with my aunt, a social worker, to places like Mercy Home, Little Sisters of the Poor, and YWCA in Chennai to help the elderly and those in need. I also served as a youth volunteer in Sai Seva organisations. Even while working as a Teller in a Bank I used to prefer the front desk where I could serve customers directly.

One New Year's Eve, I visited one of the relatives of my daughter-in-law and welcomed 2018 at a small party in their house. The lady of the house is a cancer survivor and had a mastectomy performed on her four months back. She was explaining the difficulties she was facing. I remembered making crocheted breast prostheses, which are lovingly called Knockers, in the USA for an NGO and offered to make some for her. Subsequently, I made a pair and sent it to her. She loved them and suggested I do this for other mastectomy patients too.