Since 2021, the Tellico Village Chapter of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs has met twice a year to create breast cancer pillows and drain aprons for those infected with the disease.
On Aug. 21, they will hold their second session of 2024 — utilizing 100 yards of fabric donated by a Village resident — at the Chota Recreational Center from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. All are welcome to join and no sewing experience is required.
According to a study conducted by the American Cancer Society, 13% of women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, with 3% dying from the cancer. Records and trends show that the average detection age is lower than ever before.
While studies haven’t shown a definite, direct correlation with any one cause, some studies show that prolonged or previous exposure to radiation to the chest, obesity, high red meat diets, regularly drinking alcohol and frequently experiencing depression and negative emotions can increase the chance of breast cancer, apart from genetics.
White women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, while black women reportedly have a higher death rate from breast cancer. However, the rate of deaths caused by the cancer has declined steadily since the 1980s, presumably due to the advancements of modern medicine and incorporating holistic healing treatments as well.
Less than 1% of breast cancer cases diagnosed each year are in males, but men are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stages due to delayed detection. Similarly with breast cancer in women, death rates have dropped some in the past few decades.
GFWC’s Contribution
With surgery, radiation and treatment comes drains that can be left in for weeks at a time, open wounds and sores that develop, and excessive pain and irritation to incision sites.
GFWC isn’t able to take away the pain or come up with a cure for breast cancer, but they have created a community of women who are dedicated to alleviating unnecessary stress after surgery. In such challenging, hard times, they strive to be a beacon of love and support to men and women who are fighting for their lives.
This initiative began in 2021 as a replacement for a service project that didn’t work out. GFWC member Martha Velez invited club members to her home to sew U-Shaped Breast Cancer Pillows.
Velez said these pillows help keep the arm away from the breast while also supporting the breast area after surgery.
Fifty pillows were made on that first day and each event since then their number has increased.
When a woman undergoes a mastectomy, a drain is left in to ensure there isn’t a blockage under the incision or where a tumor was for up to three weeks. Their purpose is to prevent swelling and discomfort.
The drains themselves are said to not be painful, but they can be uncomfortable and awkward to get used to. GFWC member and Co-Founder of the breast cancer pillow initiative Martha Velez said women are told to purchase tool belts to hold their drains after surgery.
Thick, scratchy canvas connecting with already sensitive skin isn’t something anyone wants to endure while recovering from any type of surgery. Finding a solution to this problem is what led GFWC women to sew breast cancer drain bags.
Each one, stitched with love, is made from a soft, pretty fabric and donated to local breast cancer centers, like Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center, Thompson Cancer Center, UT Hospital and Tennessee Cancer Specialists, along with sewn pillows. The centers distribute them accordingly after a woman, or man, undergoes surgery.
With the skin being more tender than usual after surgery, riding in a car or leaning against a surface can also be unusually painful. Not to mention if chemotherapy is in a patient’s treatment plan, a port is implanted into his or her chest making traveling — even to doctor’s appointments — a difficult task.
Thus the port pillow was added to GFWC’s contribution. This pillow attaches to a seatbelt to relieve pressure off the breast and chest area, while also protecting the port.
The pillows and apron are packaged with a special note of encouragement before being dropped off at the cancer centers.
Before going to visit the centers, Velez wasn’t certain of the impact they were making, but workers let her know it was insurmountable.
“When I saw their gratitude and their appreciation for the supplies that we’ve been giving them, a tear came to my eye — and I’m not a real emotional person,” she said.
“… You don’t understand that (a patient) coming out of this surgery all by herself, and then we give her something that’s for her, so she’s not alone. She’s got somebody that’s in her corner. She may never know us. She may never research anything about our club, but she has evidence that there’s another woman that’s thinking about her,” Velez said.
Helpful Donations
Susan Zaar, a fellow Villager who comes from a long line of seamstresses, recently donated more than 100 yards of fabric to the GFWC breast cancer cause.
Some of the fabric was left to Zaar after her sister passed away a decade ago and then again two more times when dear friends and fellow seamstresses passed away recently. Knowing she would never be able to use all the inherited fabric, she decided to put it to use to aid in something that’s inflected her personally.
As a breast cancer survivor herself, and seeing her mother beat Stage 3 Breast Cancer and close family and friends pass away from it, Zaar is able to sympathize with how important something like what the GFWC is doing for breast cancer patients is — not only with creating pillows and aprons, but with the community.
Zaar was diagnosed with Stage 1 Breast Cancer in 2016 and went into remission in 2021. At the time, the thing she was lacking was community. Immediately after her diagnosis, she changed that knowing how having good people around her would elevate her likelihood of beating the cancer.
“My mom had chemo and then she had radiation, and she never burned from the radiation,” she said. “And they said the two reasons why were, number one, she had an incredible, incredible social circle that was supporting her. And two, her faith.”
When a mutual friend introduced Zaar to Velez earlier this year, their friendship was instantaneous and Zaar knew she was going to help this growing community as much as possible.
“(My diagnosis) just came out of the blue, and I had to build a community,” Zaar said. “So with Martha building this community, I was like, ‘Oh, yes, this is where I want to be’. Because I had nothing.”
Velez said that the fabric Saar donated is a higher quality than they’ve used in the past, and with such a high quantity, as well as quality, there will be enough for next year’s event as well.
To learn more about this event or information on joining this community in sewing pillows and aprons for breast cancer patients, visit www.gfwctellico.org or email the club at gfwctellico@gmail.com.
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