Pink jackets specially designed for mammograms will be distributed to women who have to take the exam in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, a first in Quebec, the Fondation Santé Jonquière said on Tuesday.
A member of the CIUSSS du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean team came up with the idea for the project that had been in the air for several years.
“We have been told that there are certain issues with the current jacket. It was more difficult to hold the garment in place during examination, to bare one or both breasts. There are people who get up with their jackets on the ground. The project fills in precisely these small elements,” explained the Director General of the Fondation Santé Jonquière, Sandra Lévesque.
The gown is designed to provide greater comfort to women who need to undergo the examination. The wide sleeves allow you to pull them down without removing the jacket completely, as an elastic band at the waist keeps it in place. It adapts to all sizes and keeps the body warm.
“I can’t wait to have a mammo because I still have it regularly. I’m very happy with the project!” said Ginette Gagnon, a cancer survivor who has served as a patient support worker for the regional cancer program for several years.
A total of 700 gowns will be delivered to the five hospitals in the region over the next few weeks, including 140 to Jonquière Hospital on Tuesday.
“We can make about 70 a week, so everything should be delivered by early summer,” assured Mélissa Lavoie, co-owner of Confection Imagine, the company contracted for the project.
This $24,000 project comes primarily from fans of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens who donate generously each year during the pink game.
“Even the players often have the choice to buy back their jersey. Either their mother, their aunt, or someone close to them has been diagnosed with cancer. They do it symbolically, but it goes directly to the Foundation,” said the operations manager of the Saguenéens de Chicoutimi, Serge Proulx.
The latter ensures that the hockey club will continue to champion the cause of breast cancer.
“We think it’s exceptional because it’s unique in Quebec,” he said.
The Fondation Santé Jonquière hopes to inspire other hospitals in the province to follow suit.
More than 20,000 mammograms are performed annually in hospitals in the region and 400 new cases are detected each year.
“Me, they discovered it from a mom at the age of 47. So it is important to do the self-examination. If you feel anything, don’t take any chances, even if you’re not 50, take the exam. Maybe that’s why I’m still here today,” Ginette Gagnon advised.
The Fondation Santé Jonquière is currently working on other pink projects.
“There are projects that come because the realization of that one gives hope for others,” Mr Proulx said.