Lacey-Love Kent, a 28-year-old woman from Gosport, Hampshire, has been waiting nearly five years for an NHS breast reduction after her 38JJ breasts caused severe back pain, rashes, and circulation issues. She has now started a GoFundMe page to cover the cost of private surgery.
Physical and mental toll
Kent, who weighs 17 stone 4 pounds and stands 5 feet 11 inches tall, says her breasts force her to hunch over so they can rest on her knees, leading to a stooped posture her friends call 'shrimp-like.' She suffers from back pain, heat rashes in warm weather, and circulation loss in cold weather that turns her breasts 'purple and black.' She also experiences friction burns from her £90 medical-grade bras, which she often has to supplement with a sports bra for support.
Kent said: 'I'm affectionately called a shrimp by my friends. I have to sit slightly hunched over. It's really embarrassing and not at all attractive but if I hunch slightly then my breasts can rest on my thighs.'
NHS waitlist and weight loss advice
Kent first approached her GP for a breast reduction referral in 2021 and was told the waitlist would be two years. After four years, she was still not approved and was advised to lose weight. However, she has Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), which causes constant weight gain. She also struggles to exercise because her breasts cause blisters and do not stay still even with two high-impact sports bras.
Kent said: 'I went to the NHS and said I would like a reduction and they said it was a cosmetic surgery and that there's a two-year waitlist. It got to four years and I said I really need this and they told me I just need to lose weight.'
Mental health crisis
The impact on her mental health has been severe. Kent has experienced breakdowns in the shower, where she would scream, cry, and claw at her skin. She even considered cutting off her own breasts.
Kent revealed: 'I kept on having breakdowns in the shower where I would be screaming and crying and clawing at my skin. I was saying I was going to cut off my own breasts because I was just sick of them.'
NHS policy and GoFundMe
A spokesperson for NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB said: 'We are sorry to hear of Ms Kent's circumstances and previous experience. Due to patient confidentiality, NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight is unable to discuss individual cases. However, information on our policies relating to breast reduction surgery is publicly available and can be accessed in full within HIOW-Policy-15-Breast-surgery-v3.0.pdf. Breast reduction surgery is not routinely funded on the NHS, as mentioned within the policy.'
Unable to work due to her health, Kent has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for a private breast reduction. She hopes to finally get the surgery that has been elusive for years.
