Ford Creates Device to Help All Breast Cancer Patients

You may have noticed that there are many fundraisers to help fight breast cancer this month. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. For the past 30 years, Ford has supported breast cancer patients and their families through its Warriors in Pink fundraising efforts. The automaker’s latest effort has the potential to change lives worldwide. Ford has created a device to help men and women who have been treated for breast cancer, especially those who have had mastectomies. The device called a “SupportBelt” fits over Ford’s traditional seatbelt, providing a cushion to make wearing the safety belt less painful. Ford intends to provide the SupportBelt free to breast cancer patients. The SupportBelt is designed to be used in any type of Ford vehicle, from F-150s to Expeditions to Escapes.

The Woman Behind the SupportBelt

Lynn Simoncini is the woman who came up with the idea. She had a double mastectomy and found driving incredibly painful while healing. The pressure of wearing a tightly fastened seatbelt across her still-healing chest was agonizing, making even short trips a challenge.

“I couldn't believe there wasn't a product made that makes your seat belt comfortable to wear and that also happens to look good,” Simoncini said after her mastectomy. She shared her idea with her partner, Chad Woolums, and together they drafted a proposal for a supportive, comfortable belt designed specifically for post-mastectomy patients.

Simoncini, a creative director at VML, a marketing partner of Ford, started sketching out ideas. Simoncini’s brainchild led to the creation of the Ford SupportBelt. With the proposal in hand, Simoncini took the idea to Emily Obert, a Ford experience design director. Obert’s team worked long hours designing and testing prototypes. The team worked with engineers to ensure that the SupportBelt met Ford quality standards. They also experimented with varied materials, choosing a flexible and supportive foam wrapped in suede-like fabric constructed from nearly 40% recycled PET from water bottles that wraps around the seat belt using a Velcro fastener.

Ford estimates that the device could help the approximately 100,000 U.S. women and men each year who undergo a mastectomy, or the removal of breast tissue, as part of their treatment plan. “The SupportBelt demonstrates the profound impact that thoughtful design can have on healing,” says Obert.

What is the SupportBelt

The contoured SupportBelt is made from a soft, breathable foam that fastens to the seatbelt to help relieve pressure and reduce discomfort on a person's chest while driving. Ford will first offer the SupportBelt, the only device of its kind designed and validated by an automaker, to mastectomy patients in the U.S. at no cost. The first SupportBelts will be manufactured by Ford’s supplier, Lear Corporation. They hope to have the first batch ready to be shipped by the end of November.  

Ford Plans to Make the SupportBelt Available Free

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer for women in 157 countries, according to the World Health Organization. Ford has filed a patent for SupportBelt and plans to open it to other manufacturers so the accessory can be produced around the world. Ford has invested more than $139 million in the fight against breast cancer through the sale of inspirational apparel and gear over the last thirty years.

Sign Up for the Ford SupportBelt Here.

Ford stresses that the SupportBelt is designed, tested and intended to be used in Ford and Lincoln vehicles for right now. Ford is making the design available via license for other automakers to manufacture and test in their vehicles. It is only to be used with the shoulder belt, not the lap portion of the belt. The SupportBelt should not be used with child seats or for children.

Simoncini still uses her original prototype.

“I leave it strapped to the seatbelt in my car and use it every single day,” she said. “I hope that women everywhere, who have experienced the same struggles I have, get the SupportBelt and find comfort in knowing that this product has been brought to them by a group of people who recognize their battle and know the SupportBelt will help.”

Ford Photo

Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.

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