Jayashree Ratan, the founder of Saaisha India Foundation, aids Indian women in a unique way. “Knitted Knockers” is a Brand name she created to bring together a community of women who crochet prosthesis for women who have undergone mastectomies.
Having to undergo a mastectomy (removal of the breast) can have a debilitating impact on a woman. Societal pressures on the looks of a woman have always been a cause for concern. At a time when women are spending thousands of dollars on breast augmentation surgery, having a breast removed can be devastating.
While women in urban India still have access to silicone prosthesis, women in rural India stuff handkerchiefs and cotton balls in their bras to give the appearance of a full breast — none of which is kind on the skin after surgery and can lead to rashes, infections, and skin abrasions.
Imagine the kind of pressure that drives a woman to go through such pain and misery, after undergoing such trauma in order to look a certain way.
Kartika Rajagopal, 33 years old Ayurvedic Ophthalmologist, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and advised to have a mastectomy. In 2020, she was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time and underwent another mastectomy.
Kartika tried a variety of prostheses, from silicone-based to cotton-based, before trying Saaisha India’s prosthesis.
“It changed my life,” Kartika Rajagopal said describing the prostheses made by the group.
Saaisha India Foundation is a charitable organization, of compassionate, dedicated and enthusiastic individuals working towards bringing comfort to and making a difference in the lives of women and children in a tangible way.
Having created a network of over 270 volunteers from across India, UAE and the US, this voluntary organization has distributed over 5,700 prostheses for free in the last four years.
Initially, the organization relied solely on word of mouth, but during the COVID-19 lockdown, they got the chance to create a social media presence. This helped to spread the word and brought them a lot of new knitters from all across the country. They collaborate with various hospitals, including Tata Memorial and Chennai Breast Centre.