Allana Maiden, a 27-year-old from Virginia whose mother is a
breast cancer survivor, discovered the power of people who care on Thursday
when she and her mother were given an audience with the giant fashion chain
Victoria's Secret.
She and her mother, Debbie Barrett, 57, hand-delivered more
than 118,000 Change.org petition signatures to the company's office in New York
City, asking them to create a line of "survivor" bras to help women
who have had mastectomies and wear prostheses to feel beautiful again.
They met with Tammy Roberts Myers, vice president of
external communications for Limited Brands, the parent company, who offered to
fly the pair to the Columbus, Ohio, headquarters for more discussions and a
tour of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, a recipient of
donations from Victoria's Secret.
"We were just blown away," Maiden told ABCNews.com
after the visit. "They actually want to send us out there and are taking
this seriously. I didn't know what to expect meeting someone so high in the company.
I thought it would just be a pat on the back -- 'Good job, we can't do it.' It
was amazing. I do think that [Victoria's Secret] is interested in figuring out
how to do this."
Maiden and Barrett carried the petition signatures to the
meeting in Victoria's Secret pink striped shopping bags.
Limited Brands has acknowledged the importance of supporting
women who have breast cancer, but did not commit to making a new line of bras.
"We celebrate those who champion the fight against
breast cancer," the company said in a prepared statement for ABCNews.com.
"Victoria's Secret and ... Limited Brands, have been dedicated to helping
eradicate this disease and have committed tens of millions of dollars to cancer
research.
"Ultimately, we are working towards celebrating the day
when breast cancer is a thing of the past," it said. "In the
meantime, we are listening and learning to understand if there are additional
ways for our company to continue to extend its support."
Maiden said she is "amazed" that her petition got
this far.
"The support we got is awesome," she said. "I
knew that there were a lot of people out there who do care deeply about the
issue of breast cancer. I wasn't sure how many would get behind something like
this. People go on walks and buy pink ribbons, but I didn't know if they would
respond to this."
Today the department store Nordstrom also responded to
Maiden's petition, offering to cover the cost of customizing a few bras for
Barrett.
"We actually offer a service where we can convert any
of our bras or camisoles in-store into mastectomy bras through our prosthesis
program," Nordstrom spokesperson Kelly Skahan wrote in an email to
ABCNews.com, looking for contact information for the mother and daughter.
"We can do it right in-store and it makes it so
customers can still enjoy the lingerie they've always loved even after a
mastectomy," Skahan wrote. "We'd love to talk to Debbie and Allana
and invite them into our store in Richmond so Debbie can have an appointment
with one of our bra fitters."
Maiden doesn't remember too much about her mother's breast
cancer diagnosis and subsequent mastectomy. She was only 6 years old at the
time. But ever since, Maiden has watched her mother struggle to feel beautiful
-- and to find a bra that fits.
Her mother wears a prosthetic because at the time of her
mastectomy, insurance did not cover breast reconstruction. And, because she
lives in a rural part of Virginia, she has to drive 1½ hours to find a store
that sells bras that hold prosthetic breasts.
"It's a huge ordeal," Maiden, said of her mother's
search for the right bra. And while the mastectomy bras that her mother buys
may come cheap, they are unattractive. Prettier bras by designer boutiques are
more expensive.
"I know this is a minor inconvenience compared to the
other things my mom's been through, and she never complains, but it is not
fair," said Maiden in her petition. "A strong woman like her should
be able to feel as beautiful as she is. She should be able to go to a store in
her local mall with everyone else and buy a beautiful bra like everyone else."
Barrett, who was diagnosed at 36, said today she was
"so proud" of her daughter. "It's been wonderful to see all this
support and to have the chance to talk to Victoria's Secret representatives
about how much this amazing decision would mean to survivors of breast cancer."
According to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation,
breast cancer is the most common cancer in women; the foundation estimates that
more than 1.6 million new cases occurred among women worldwide in 2010.
The bras that Barrett wears have little pockets to hold the
prostheses. They are available online, but it's hard to get a good fit without
being measured in person, say both mother and daughter.
Maiden, who works at a local animal shelter, said she chose
to petition Victoria's Secret because it has participated in breast cancer
awareness campaigns in the past -- Victoria Secret's 2012 "Think
Pink" campaign donated more than $1.1 million to cancer groups, according
to the company's website.
And Maiden added that she'd also had positive experiences as
a Victoria's Secret customer.
"Victoria's Secret is supposed to make women feel
beautiful, and the women that deserve that feeling the most are excluded,"
Maiden wrote in her petition.
Both mother and daughter have participated in local breast
cancer walks and supported the American Cancer Society.
"Every woman knows someone that has been impacted by
breast cancer, and women are passionate about this cause," Maiden wrote in
her petition. "What better way to give back to women than to help cancer
survivors feel good about themselves?"
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