Bringing reconstruction full circle, Mission Plasticos helps underserved survivors rebuild bodies—and lives—after the ravages of breast cancer.
After breast cancer treatments like mastectomies, many low-income and uninsured women in Texas struggle to access breast reconstruction surgery. Though research shows the surgery can aid emotional recovery, significant barriers exist, from procedural costs to few participating doctors.
The nonprofit Mission Plasticos aims to address unmet needs through its Full Circle program. They facilitate partnerships to provide pro bono surgery using donated time and materials. However, strict privacy laws mean interested patients must reach out themselves.
For Gloria Infante, a mastectomy patient lacking reconstruction funds, learning of Mission Plasticos on TV represented an unexpected chance. Now undergoing a two-part reconstructive process in Austin, five hours from home, she already feels psychological benefits. Yet travel challenges demonstrate barriers persisting for other Texas women lacking local surgical options.
While still limited in scope, Mission Plasticos aspires to expand. They work to bring more doctors on board across the state. If successful, their coordination efforts may empower many more women to reclaim confidence and wholeness on the other side of breast cancer’s trauma. The impacts could prove profoundly liberating.
Read the full article on the KUT News website.