Garden Club Makes Donation to Benefit Breast Cancer Surgery Patients at North Oaks Medical Center

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in recognition of “Make a Difference Day” on Oct. 26, the Ponchatoula Gardenettes donated “Bosom Buddy Bags” to North Oaks Medical Center for breast cancer surgery patients.

The Gardenettes sewed 54 of the fabric bags, which are designed to hold drainage bottles in place during recovery.

The original bag was designed by a breast cancer surgery patient as a practical, hands-free way to manage the drainage bottles during recovery and to complete activities of daily living, like brushing her teeth, eating and dressing.

In 2010, Deep South Region National Garden Club Members in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee adopted the original design and began making the bags for surgery centers to help other breast cancer surgery patients. The Deep South Region now recognizes the Bosom Buddy Bag project as an extension of the National Garden Club’s "Plant It Pink" initiative for breast cancer awareness.