When Linda ( not her real name ) underwent a second surgery at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) due to breast cancer, she wasn’t certain how to dress herself after that.
Wearing a blouse felt unusual. One side suit as normal, but the other lay flat, making her garments look odd. Going without a blouse wasn’t an alternative as she felt very exposed.  ,
That’s when her nurse handed her a set of embroidered knockers, decorative by employees from the doctor.  ,
Unlike shoulder prostheses, which are synthetic breasts made of silicone that sit inside the underwear, these crocheted knockers were compact, lightweight and fit more easily on her torso.  ,
Titties need to be made of washable cloth thread that stays gentle after air drying and is lightweight and durable. The person can also change the size of the nips by removing or adding more packing, usually made of polyester fiberfill.  ,
Linda’s caregiver, Kong Kit Teng, shared this with me as she and other employees were setting up for the team’s regular lace program. On a long table in the middle of the team lounge, they laid out fabric, crochet hooks, thread signs, knives and printed training manuals.  ,
The party was started by Ong Poh Suan, KTPH’s associate director of operations, and Dr Joelle Leung, a chest surgeon from the patient’s general surgery department.  ,
Ong started KTPH’s regular craft interest group in first 2024. The goal was to create a place where medical staff may occur during their lunch breaks to relax through conscious art activities such as water colouring and crocheting.
The group, which has 20 active members, has crocheted pouches, table runners and even adorable plushie pills for Nurses ‘ Day and Patient Service Associates ‘ ( PSA ) Day.