Knitters Needed to Aid Cancer Patients

Having a mastectomy or lumpectomy can leave women feeling uneasy about their appearance. To help, Knitted Knockers, a national nonprofit organization, provides hand-knitted breast prostheses free of charge.

The simple prostheses can have a big impact, and North State patients used to be able to get these handcrafted items at Enloe Health Comprehensive Breast Care. Today, it can take about three months to receive the prostheses, said Moriah Crew, RN, Lead Oncology Nurse Navigator at Enloe Health.

“We are in a real knocker crisis,” she said. “I had a group of knitters about six years ago, then when COVID hit, we couldn’t accept items from people’s homes. During this period, my faithful knitters became dedicated to other projects, and I have not been able to find replacements.”

Crew hopes local knitters will lend their talents this fall and beyond, so the prostheses can once again become available. To encourage needleworkers to participate, Enloe Health will reimburse crafters who purchase supplies and create the delicate prostheses, she said.

Butte County resident Mary Kaye Haughey was a faithful knitter for years. The retiree was part of the Enloe Handcrafters, a volunteer group who knits hats and booties for newborns. At one of the group’s meetings, a woman came and talked about Knitted Knockers and asked the volunteers to get involved. Haughey felt drawn to the project and added the prostheses to her repertoire of handcrafted goods.

Knitted Knockers require soft-to-the-touch cotton yarn. The website www.knittedknockers.org contains a list of approved yarns and patterns to knit or crochet them. It takes several hours to knit and stuff each pair, which are labeled with the size and turned into the collection site, Haughey said.

Knitted Knockers are different from traditional breast prostheses, Crew said. They can be adjusted to fill the gap for uneven breasts by removing some of the stuffing. This is not the case with traditional breast prostheses, which can also be hot, heavy and sticky. Traditional breast prosthetics also typically require special bras or camisoles with pockets and can’t be worn for weeks after surgery. Knitted Knockers are soft, comfortable and can be worn shortly after surgery.

When placed in a regular bra, they take the shape and feel of a real breast. They are adjustable, washable and can be worn while swimming.

Sometimes they can be a long-term option for women who are recovering from breast cancer. Other times, they’re a shorter-term fix.

“Some women opt not to move forward with immediate reconstruction after mastectomy and during the post-op period, they would like a ‘filler’ until they can be fitted for a prosthesis,” Crew explained.

“There is an extended amount of time between mastectomy and when the surgeon clears the patient for a prosthesis fitting. In some cases, this could be several months, depending on healing status and follow-up treatments recommended after surgery. Understandably, women want to carry on with normal day-to-day functions and feel that at least outwardly, people don’t notice or wonder about a missing extremity.”

To help create Knitted Knockers, call 530-332-4350 or visit www.knittedknockers.org.

October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in women and it’s the most common cancer among American women, excluding skin cancer.

About 1 in 8 women will develop this disease in their lifetime. Early detection saves lives. Talk to your provider about your risks and screening guidelines. A screening mammogram can take less than 20 minutes and provide vital results. Learn more at www.enloe.org/mammogram.