Donation of breast prostheses |05 October 2023
Dr Louange accepting the donation from Mrs Julienne
Added comfort for breast cancer patients
The Oncology Unit of the Seychelles Hospital has received a donation of breast prostheses and other accessories, which will help to bring added comfort to breast cancer patients and improve their quality of life.
This donation is the sixth one by Sophia Harryba, a Seychellois doctor working in Australia.
In a short ceremony yesterday at the Red Roof building, Dr Harryba’s mother, Elizabeth Julienne, handed over the donation to the chief executive of the Health Care Agency, Dr Danny Louange.
It comprises 255 silicon breast prostheses, 42 sponge breast prostheses, 25 prosthesis pockets, 190 bras and 36 panties.
A breast prosthesis is an artificial breast shape that sits inside your bra to replace all or part of your breast removed during surgery known as mastectomy.
When accepting the items, Dr Louange thanked Dr Harryba for her continued support extended to the Oncology Unit.
He added that these breast prostheses will help make a great difference in the lives of the patients and breast cancer survivors.
“This donation shows that support does not only come from the government but from the private sector as well, and caring individuals,” he said.
Dr Louange is calling on others to join in and support the cause.
“We welcome any assistance we can get such as psychological help to our patients to comfort them through such difficult period.”
On her part, Lucie Quilindo, nurse manager at the Oncology Unit, also expressed her gratitude towards Mrs Julienne and Dr Harryba, and had words of encouragement for the patients.
“To the women who are battling breast cancer, remember that you are not alone so keep being strong and know that there are people out there who care and are ready to provide support and encouragement,” she said.
Ms Quilindo added that women are the pillars of their families and the society in general, therefore they must be supported and shown that they are cared for in times of need.
She said the donation will help them lead normal lives.
There are two types of breast prosthesis – the silicon and cotton ones – and both can be worn daily. However the cotton one is ideal for activities such as swimming, as it is washable.
“Many patients and even survivors of breast cancer find it difficult to enjoy certain activities such as going for a swim and prefer to just sit on the beach. But these breast prostheses help them to be more confident and to be able to take part in such activities,” Ms Quilindo said.
“We would like to call on those out there who have done their mastectomy and would wish to have a breast prosthesis, as well as those who feel that they need help of any form during this difficult phase to contact the Oncology Unit at the Seychelles Hospital.”
The air freight for transporting these items to Seychelles was covered by the Ministry of Health.
