Breast cancer survivor designs 'game-changer' prosthesis case

BBC A woman with short blonde hair stands in front of a purple background wearing a lilac tshirt. She's holding a neon green oval case with the word Cwtch on it.BBC
Judy Jones designed the special case after suffering from breast cancer

A woman from Worcestershire has designed a travel case for breast prosthesis after undergoing a mastectomy.

Judy Jones from Kidderminster realised, while packing for a holiday, that there was not a dedicated product to safely and discreetly store them.

It inspired her to create the "Cwtch Case", two years after her diagnosis.

The former nurse says it could make a real difference to those navigating life after breast cancer.

A pair of women's hands hold the green oval Cwtch case over a half packed grey suitcase containing three folded orange, white and black jumpers.
Judy Jones came up with the idea when packing for a holiday

Jones was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024 following a routine mammogram.

She had treatment at Worcestershire Breast Unit and underwent a mastectomy, and has worn a prosthesis ever since.

She says she came up with the idea when getting ready for her first holiday abroad after the surgery and realising she had nowhere to store it.

"The box it comes in is actually quite big, so that would take up about a quarter of your case," she said.

She found very few existing products but felt they too were cumbersome, and decided she was going to create something as soon as she returned home.

The picture depicts the oval shaped "Cwtch Case" opened and closed. On the left is the case open - with black lining and a flesh coloured prosthesis inside. One the right is the case closed. It's neon green in colour and has a black closed zip with "Cwtch" written in black writing.
The "Cwtch Case" stores breast prosthesis safely.

The entrepreneur worked with a product designer in Malvern before testing it out.

"I've worked closely with the team at the Worcestershire breast unit at Worcester Hospital. I've also spoken to ladies that have been through it themselves and I've had some early testers and they have called it a game-changer," she said.

When asked why she decided to call it a Cwtch Case, she told us the Welsh word was perfect: "It's got two meanings, one is a loving embrace and the other one is a small safe place to hold something that matters to you, so I thought that's spot-on"

She hopes it could make a real difference to those navigating life after breast cancer, and plans to support charities fighting the disease once the business grows.

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