Learn About BRA Day

National Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) Day is an initiative designed to promote education, awareness, and access to information regarding post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. All breast cancer survivors are incredibly brave and have unique journeys, but BRA Day is a way to let them know they are not alone. Informing women of their reconstruction options is critically important to improving life after breast cancer. Research shows that less than a quarter of women receive necessary information about their breast reconstruction options at the time of their mastectomy, and BRA Day aims to change that!

MTF Biologics is proud to have celebrated BRA Day since its inaugural in 2012 and through our BRAve Women campaign. BRAve highlights the stories of hope shared by women who have chosen breast reconstruction following mastectomy and shines a spotlight on how tissue donation helps change lives and reduce the effect of mastectomies on breast cancer survivors. Donated skin grafts have improved breast reconstruction outcomes for thousands of women across the U.S.

To learn more about BRA Day and breast reconstruction options, go to www.breastreconusa.org. You will find information about breast reconstruction procedures and 2022 BRA Day events across the U.S. 

BRA Day Resources & Materials

MTF Biologics has prepared resources to help spread awareness about BRA Day and how tissue donation helps women with their healing and recovery following breast cancer surgery. Please get in touch with Lauralee_Brown@mtf.org for customization requests.

Resources for Social Media Posts

24 Social Media Story Posts – Download

BRA Day Awareness & Facts – Download

BRAve Stories of Hope

Read about the life-changing tissue transplantation stories of women and their BRAve spirit.

Video Stories

Watch and share three inspiring and motivational stories of BRAve women who are also recipients of donated skin grafts.

Download videos here. For co-branding, please contact Lauralee_Brown@mtf.org.

BRAve Women and BRAve Heroes Tributes

Honor our heroes by posting a message to our Tribute Wall.  This could be a BRAve Woman – a woman affected by breast cancer and may refer to herself as a warrior, survivor, or just touched by the disease in some way.  You can also honor a BRAve Hero - a donor who has made transplantation possible for the 1.75 million recipients who are beneficiaries of tissue grafts each year. 

Submit your tribute using the form below!

For Sue, the topic of tissue donation was a labor of love. She spent most of her adult life advocating for tissue, organ and blood donation. One of the greatest benefits of her work was hearing the many heartfelt stories of hope and healing made possible through transplantation. She never imagined that one day, she too would have a personal story of her own to tell.

Six years ago, Sue’s life was turned upside down. She was juggling life as a busy mother of four, working full time, and caring for her elderly mother. Just when life seemed busiest, she heard those chilling words: “You have breast cancer.” Sue’s world came to a screeching halt. She recalls thinking, “I need to protect my kids and not have them worry about me. I want my husband to know that everything is going to be okay, and I needed to shield my mom from what I was going through.” In reality, Sue was even unsure how all of this would end.

Following her surgical consultation, a bilateral mastectomy was her only option. When she heard her physician ask, “What size would you like to be?” Sue realized she did have choices and sensed that everything would be okay. Sue’s plastic surgeon told her that donated dermal tissue would be used for her reconstruction surgery. “I was overcome by gratitude and humbled when I realized I was going to be a tissue recipient,” exclaimed Sue.

Two months after her breast reconstruction surgery, Sue was asked to speak about her experience. “I didn’t hesitate, even though I had never done public speaking before,” Sue said. “I was so humbled by the generosity passed on to me by my donor families, I was willing to go out of my comfort zone and make the gifts count even more. My donors’ gifts gave me strength.” Sue had found her own voice and now has her own story. Through the precious gift of life, Sue has reclaimed precious time with her family and is on a personal mission to educate others about donation and transplantation.

Meet Ellie's Belle BRAve Donate Life Doll

Meet Ellie's Belle, the Donate Life doll, a doll pendant necklace to support Donate Life and honor breast cancer survivors and recipients of the gift of skin donation through breast reconstruction surgery. She is radiant in her white logo tank with blue jeans and bright pink boots, rhinestone bracelets, breast cancer awareness hope charms in her hand, a pink crystal necklace, and cap atop her white glass pearl head. Silver finish body and chain.

For each Donate Life doll purchase, Ellie's Belles will donate $2 to Donate Life America, the national non-profit organization committed to increasing the number of donated organs, eyes, and tissues available to save and heal lives through transplantation. Each Ellie's Belle is lovingly handcrafted and unique in design. Ellie's Belles dolls are created by Loren Martz.

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