Philly Edge: Breast cancer survivors start boutique in 'burbs

Breast cancer survivors start boutique in 'burbs

Building faith and hope
From bras to jewelry, a new Abington boutique caters to survivors of breast cancer

By Joseph Simek
Philly EDGE Correspondent

Maybe it's about bringing the sexy back, or about being able to purchase lingerie in "regular stores." But for women who face breast cancer, these aspects of daily life can make a difference on their road to recovery.

“Years and years ago, it used to be that women had to go to a medical supply company (to find a bra post-masectomy)” says Bonnie Scalfaro, 35, a breast cancer survivor from Jenkintown. “It was a man who did your fitting and they handed you a bra and said, 'Try this on.' Everything has come a long way since then, but now if you walk into a regular store, everyone else gets to buy the real pretty bras and you are still stuck with a choice of two; it doesn’t make you feel really good.”
With this in mind, Scalfaro and her sister, Jeanette Caligiuri, 41, also of Jenkintown, have opened Faith & Hope Boutique in Abington this month. Along with losing their grandmother and mother to the disease, the two are survivors themselves. They know that even something as simple as buying new bras can be tough for women battling breast cancer, and agree that allowing a woman to feel sexy again is an important aspect on the road to recovery.
Women with prostheses or reconstruction have different needs when it comes to fitting in a bra. As Scalfaro puts it, “(your breast) may become like a ball. And it’s very hard to fit a ball into a cone shape.”
The boutique carries stylish bras that cater to those needs, but also make women feel sexy again.
“The only difference between a mastectomy bra and a regular bra, other than the cups being a little more generous and thicker straps, is they have a pocket sewn into them,” Scalfaro explains. “It’s a very thin piece of material. If the woman had a prosthesis, it holds the prosthesis in place.
“When you go for surgery there are things that -- I don’t think the doctors purposely don’t tell you -- but there’s a learning curve. With our doctors - they were men; they were wonderful, and they gave us great service and did wonderful surgery. But as men, they didn’t realize you can’t go to a regular store to buy a bra.”
Although the lingerie line is a major focal point, the boutique is about more than just sexy underwear. The two sisters realized that many women don't know what to expect during the stages in the recovery process, so they wanted to create a comfortable environment for women who come in for fittings, as well as carry items that help women “from diagnosis to treatment to living beyond.”
The boutique carries everything from post-surgery camis to free exchange wigs to molds for custom nipples. You can also find “chemo-care packs” and “mastectomy mates,” gift packages with items such as surgical compression bras, hand sanitizer, socks and vitamin water.
“When you first get diagnosed, you get all the pink ribbon stuff,” Scalfaro says, “and everyone goes pink crazy. It’s very heartfelt and loving, but I think the person going through it gets 'pinked out.'”
The sisters have also brought in items that will help them give back to the community. They carry an exclusive jewelry line from KYM Handcrafted Jewelry, which gives a part of its proceeds to The Breathing Room, a non-profit outreach organization for individuals and their families suffering from any types of cancer. They also sell bath and body products from Caren Et Cie; a portion of the profits are donated to the Caren Singer Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.
“We are trying to give back to where the money is needed. The advocacy is crucial, but the research is just as important,” Scalfaro says.
Another fundraising tool the sisters created is their featured product of the month. A portion of the sales from this product will go to a different foundation or organization, with this month's donations going to Young Survival Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, of which both sisters are members. YSC Philly is a local chapter of a national community of breast cancer survivors who work as a support system while raising awareness about breast cancer.
This sense of community – as well as the demand for a store like the boutique – is a big reason why the women opened their store so close to Abington Memorial Hospital.
“We went through all our surgeries - and our doctors were all - at Abington, and in talking with them and living in this area, we chose to stay close to home,” Scalfaro says, “If we went too far, it would defeat the purpose.”
Of course, Scalfaro, who is also a respiratory therapist, and Caligiuri, who is a realtor, both stand to make some money from the shop. But they want people to know they are not in this for economic gain.
“We are here for the women,” she says, “We would gladly close our doors and not look back, if they ever find a cure. We want the women to feel special and beautiful. Even though their bodies have changed, they can go on living a happy life.”

The Faith & Hope Boutique
1915 Guernsey Avenue
Abington
www.faithandhopeboutique.com