Ford Designs Free Seatbelt Attachment for Breast Cancer Patients

Cancer can rock a person’s life in big and surprisingly wide-ranging ways. For instance, people suffering from breast cancer can find driving uncomfortable — even excruciating — if they have recently undergone a mastectomy, in which breast tissue is removed from the body. Despite being the most common form of cancer in 157 countries, few products exist to help make seatbelts more comfortable for people undergoing treatment.

Lynn Simoncini, who works VML, one of Ford’s marketing partners, was one such person recovering from a mastectomy who felt that the available mastectomy pillows didn’t suit her needs. So, she thought, maybe one could be created.

“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 told Ford.

She started sketching out ideas for a product that would remove some of the pressure put on her healing chest by the shoulder belt. Eventually, she drafted a proposal for a product and brought it to Ford Experience Design Director Emily Obert who, with the help of design intern Rima Shkoukami, brought the idea to reality.

"I was in here for long hours every single day, three weeks straight, just cutting foam and trying out different ways that it would form to a body," Shkoukani said.

The result of their efforts is the SupportBelt, a wide, concave foam pad that helps distribute the pressure of a seatbelt over a wider area and takes the belt off areas that are healing. The concave design also helps the product fit more body types, reducing the risk of chafing and irritation. The foam is wrapped in a suede-like material that contains nearly 40 per cent recycled PET from water bottles, and can be affixed to the shoulder belt with Velcro fasteners.

Ford turned to doctors and patients to ensure that the SupportBelt served the needs of mastectomy patients on either side of the vehicle. And that could be a big deal for many vehicle occupants, since cancer treatment and mastectomy recovery can take a long time.

“The surgery is so much more intense than one can imagine. Residual pain and sensitivities can last for months after surgery, making exposure to everyday objects painful and uncomfortable,” said Dr. Nayana Dekhne, a breast surgeon for Corewell Health in Michigan. “It is also likely that there is a need for additional follow-up surgeries that make the need for this product ongoing past the initial mastectomy.”

Not only is Ford developing the belt, it will also offer it to mastectomy patients in the U.S. for free. Unfortunately, Ford spokesperson Matt Drennan-Scace explains that the SupportBelt has not yet received homologation approval in Canada. However, he added that Canadians interested in the belt can sign up to be notified about its availability on this side of the border on its website, and that the automaker plans to open its patent to other manufacturers so that production can be scaled up around the world.

Back in the U.S., shipments of the first batch of SupportBelts is expected to start next month. As the product’s creator, Lynn Simoncini got early access to the product, and said that it has already become a part of her everyday life.

“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.”