Kaitlyn Mills, 26, a mother of three from Shropshire, says she now has the confidence to wear a bikini after undergoing life-changing surgery. Born with Poland Syndrome, a rare condition that causes one breast to grow differently from the other, she hid her chest for years.
Struggles during teenage years
Growing up, Kaitlyn knew her "hollow chest" was different, but it became more difficult when she reached puberty and her breasts began to develop. "I was extremely embarrassed about it as a teenager," she said. "As we all know, teenagers can be brutal, and I was so afraid of people around me finding out."
At sleepovers, she would change separately from other girls and wear a top when swimming. After confiding in a boyfriend, he told everyone and posted about it on social media when they broke up. "It was awful," she said. Physical activities like PE lessons, rock climbing, monkey bars, and swimming were also challenging. "I did my best to take part and, at the same time, hide my condition as much as possible."
Surgeries and final operation
After pleading with her mum, Kaitlyn had her first surgery at age 13 to get a breast implant due to "embarrassment" and to "feel less different from other girls." Over the next three years, she noticed one side of her chest was not growing at the same pace. She had a second surgery at 16 to replace the implant.
After breastfeeding her three children, her natural breast became "larger and lower than the side with the implant." At 26, she underwent a five-hour operation with Dr Roberto Vie, who performed an uplift on her natural breast and inserted an implant into her affected breast to create "much symmetry as possible."
Newfound confidence
Kaitlyn says the surgery has completely changed how she sees herself. "I feel so much more confident," she said. "I can wear normal bras and, for the first time, I feel that there is a balance to my chest." Poland Syndrome is very rare, affecting one in 20,000 people.
She believes social media and pornography play a "significant role" in how women view their bodies. "Women are often exposed to unrealistic ideas of perfection and made to feel that we should all look a certain way, when the reality is that everybody is different," she said. "Having surgery has given my confidence a massive boost. For me, it's not about achieving perfection… It's about finally feeling comfortable, balanced and confident in my own body."
