A mother who ‘hates’ the way she looks with her ‘heavy and saggy’ size 40K-cup breasts is raising money for an operation after saying the UK’s healthcare system turned her down at least 20 times across two decades.
Joanna Brice, 52, from Devon, England, said she was ‘flat chested’ until she was 13, when her breasts quickly developed into a C cup. She said the sudden change made her feel ‘self-conscious’ and led to teasing at school.
Over the years, Joanna says her bust continued to increase. She said she reached a G cup in the 2010s and is now a size 40K on the right and 40HH on the left, which she links to severe back pain, nerve damage, and fungal infections under the breast fold.
She claims that since 2000 she has repeatedly asked the NHS about a breast reduction and that, even after outlining both the physical strain and the impact on her mental health, she was refused each time, leaving her feeling ‘deflated’.
Now, she’s launched a GoFundMe to help cover private treatment estimated at £10,000 (over $13,000). She said the planned surgery would involve repositioning her nipples, removing excess fat and reshaping breast tissue, and she hopes it will mean she can finally be ‘looked at for me, not my boobs’.
Joanna, a mom-of-two, told PA Real Life: “I used to go swimming because it was a way of releasing the weight in the water because my breasts act like inflatables – but even that became problematic because I can’t find swimming costumes that accommodate.
“I have to wear a bra under my swimming costume but it would ruin the bras and get even more expensive because I’d have to buy new ones.
“This limits my ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle.”
Alongside the day-to-day pain, she said the cost of adapting to her breast size is significant.
She described bra shopping as ‘very frustrating’ and said finding stores that stock her size is difficult. Joanna added that a single bra costs her ‘at least’ £40 ($52).
She also said she ‘goes through’ bras ‘very quickly’ because they have to ‘hold up the weight’ of her boobs. According to Joanna, straps often snap or wrinkle, she has ‘permanent dents’ in her shoulders, and she sometimes needs large plasters to protect her skin.
She said that by the end of the day she feels ‘sore, sweaty and horrible’ from wearing a bra, and that she can develop fungal infections beneath her breasts.
She added: “I even apply Sudocrem under my breasts every day, otherwise I get paper cuts. As you get older, you lose the volume in your breasts.”
Joanna also said resting in bed can be ‘uncomfortable’ due to the size and weight of her breasts, which affects her sleep.
She maintains she has been unable to access breast reduction surgery through the NHS, meaning she would need to fund the procedure privately if she goes ahead.
She has set up a fundraising page and is aiming to raise £2,200 (around $3,000), which you can donate to here.