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All You Need is Sunshine: Brightening the Lives of Breast Cancer Survivors in Liverpool
When we launched the SupportBelt™ in the UK earlier this year, it was met with a lot of positivity from breast cancer charities. Before long we were getting great testimonials from breast cancer survivors who’d had the opportunity to try it for themselves. For many, the SupportBelt™ was helping them to feel comfortable while travelling in a car for the first time since treatment.
The goal with SupportBelt™ has always been to try and find ways to get them to those who would find benefit in them. That’s why, as a company, we put an open patent on the design in the hope other companies around the world would create them too.
We wanted to take the next step and get SupportBelt™ out to other European countries as soon as we could. Colleagues in France, Germany, Italy and Spain were soon reaching out to local charities and support groups offering the chance to try SupportBelt™. It’s been really heart-warming to see our teams reach connect with those groups and to hear feedback from some of the many women who have been able to try it.
Pink Ribbon Germany Get Onboard
We worked with Pink Ribbon Germany who distributed the SupportBelt™ to affected individuals who took part in their Learning to Think Positively seminar. Overall, users not only praised the innovation behind the SupportBelt™ but also expressed genuine appreciation for its comfort in daily use — many even described it as a product they “love.” This feedback highlights how strongly the SupportBelt™ resonates on both an emotional and practical level.
Following the seminar and the press release on the SupportBelt™, we have received many requests from consumers who asked for a sample as this would help them to protect their wound after surgery.
Fantastic Feedback from Spain
In Spain, we worked with the Spanish Association for Metastatic Breast Cancer (AECMM) to distribute SupportBelt™. The initial 200 were quickly allocated with further demand meaning we will look to produce even more. There was some great feedback from users in Spain too.
One user, Pilar Ros, said the following: “This summer, I started using the Ford SupportBelt™ on long trips and found it to be very useful in my daily life as well. It helps prevent the seatbelt from rubbing against my port-a-cath and also prevents discomfort on the side where I have neuropathic pain in my chest and ribs from radiation therapy.
It's very easy to put on, lightweight, and practical, so now I always take it with me, even if I'm riding in someone else's car. For me, it means traveling more comfortably and safely on any journey. I'm very grateful to Ford and the AECMM.”
Authentic Voices in France
Émilie Brunette is a lifestyle influencer and breast cancer survivor who we worked with to launch the SupportBelt™ in France. Her posts helped to get the message out in an authentic way. Our managing director in France, Louis-Carl Vignon, also posted about the SupportBelt™, in particular on the open patent of the design. Our hope was that other manufacturers would see that and start to produce even more.
“I think it's fantastic to see that patient well-being is now being taken into account, especially when you consider that one in four French people is affected by cancer”Emilie Daudin, SupportBelt™ user
Like in other countries, the feedback from those who were able to get aSupportBelt™ was extremely positive. Users were happy to receive thiers and claimed them to be very valuable to them. Some users even went further.
“Try it, you'll love it! You won't be able to live without it!”Anne-Marie, SupportBelt™ user
SupportBelt™ and Vehicle Donations in Italy
Partnering with Fondazione ANT, which is a non-profit organisation focused on home-based cancer care and prevention, we launched SupportBelt™ at their Bologna headquarters. Part of this involved an oncologist discussing the benefits of SupportBelt™ which helped attendees understand the positive difference it can make in patients’ lives.
Beyond that, we donated 100 SupportBelt™ units to the organisation, along with two Ford vehicles – an electric Ford Explorer and plug-in hybrid Transit Custom – to support sustainable patient care.
We even teamed up with a local Bologna dealer, Ford Stracciari, and through the “Drive 4 Ur Community” initiative were able to donate 30 euros to ANT for every test drive of a Ford electric vehicle taken by prospective customers.
All this work has helped cancer survivors across Europe experience the benefits of SupportBelt™, making their car journeys safer and more comfortable. Hopefully this is only the beginning though.
There are people all across Europe we would love to get SupportBelt™ to, whether from work we can do directly with the great partners we've made, or from companies picking up the patent-free design and producing them for themselves.
Anushka Mathew looks after Ford Pro communications for Ford’s newsroom
