Breast cancer survivor couldn't find mastectomy swimwear - so she started her own business

Melanie Luxton-Brookes was diagnosed with signifier 3 bosom crab successful 2017 and struggled to find suitable swimwear for her archetypal vacation aft her treatment

A bosom crab subsister has turned her life-altering acquisition into an entrepreneurial occurrence communicative by creating an inclusive swimwear marque designed specifically for women who person undergone mastectomies.

Melanie Luxton-Brookes, 47, was diagnosed with signifier 3 bosom crab successful 2017 aft discovering a lump successful her near breast. Her attraction included a afloat mastectomy, bosom reconstruction, and rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Once successful remission a twelvemonth later, Melanie and her hubby Bruce, 57, planned a vacation abroad—her archetypal since completing treatment. However, arsenic she searched for mastectomy swimwear, Melanie struggled to find options that were some fashionable and functional.

Mastectomy swimwear typically includes peculiar features, specified arsenic armholes to conceal country scars and built-in pockets for bosom forms, but Melanie discovered the marketplace lacked stylish and affordable choices.

Determined to capable the gap, Melanie launched her ain brand, Lady Survivors, to plan swimwear that empowers women to consciousness assured and comfy aft surgery.

“I was truthful excited to spell connected vacation backmost successful 2018, but I couldn't find suitable swimwear—I was gutted," Melanie explained. "Everyone should consciousness seen done fashion. Wearing a swimsuit tin already beryllium stressful, and for women who’ve gone done a mastectomy, it tin consciousness adjacent much daunting. I privation to assistance others consciousness comfy and confident."

Although Lady Survivors remains a tiny business, the interaction has been profound. “The feedback from women who archer maine they’ve fallen successful emotion with my garments—and themselves—never fails to marque maine emotional," she added.

Melanie’s travel arsenic an entrepreneur reflects findings from caller probe by Virgin Money, which examined the triggers that animate radical to motorboat tiny businesses. The survey of 500 tiny concern owners revealed that identifying a spread successful the market—like Melanie did—motivates 12% of entrepreneurs to instrumentality the leap.

The probe showed that 84% of entrepreneurs enactment connected their concern thought wrong a year, with 35% starting wrong a period of identifying their trigger. Nearly 7 successful 10 recovered their work-life equilibrium improved aft starting their business, and implicit fractional said they could ne'er ideate moving for idiosyncratic other again.

Melanie is portion of a broader question of entrepreneurs similar Oladele Ajaui, 40, from London, who turned adversity into opportunity. After being made redundant arsenic a financier successful 2017, Oladele retrained arsenic a plumber and launched his ain business, Deka Plumbing, which achieved a turnover of £400,000 past year.

For Oladele, entrepreneurship allowed him to harvester his commercialized skills with the ambition helium developed successful the firm world, portion besides enjoying much household clip and flexibility.

Both Melanie and Oladele are examples of however assurance and resilience play important roles successful overcoming life’s challenges to make thing meaningful.

To enactment concern owners similar Melanie and Oladele, Virgin Money has introduced the M Account for Business, a fee-free, digital-first existent relationship offering entrepreneurs tools similar cashback connected debit paper purchases and enactment with day-to-day banking.

Simon Norman, caput of concern banking astatine Virgin Money, praised the perseverance shown by tiny concern owners. “Melanie and Oladele’s stories item the resilience and creativity of entrepreneurs," helium said. "We privation to enactment them to prosecute their concern dreams by giving them the tools and assurance to succeed.”