LEE COUNTY, Fla. — “A New Dawn” doesn’t necessarily stand out, but the shop off College Parkway in the McGregor neighborhood of Fort Myers is special.
It’s a local boutique with a focus on offering fashion-forward options to those who don’t have too many.
“The previous owner was here for 17 years; we’ve owned A New Dawn for three. We’re a family-owned business and we like to think of the patients as family and treat them as they are our family,” Ashleigh Russell said.
The store offers a fresh start for women battling breast cancer. A battle that’s personal to store manager Russell.
“My grandmother, she had breast cancer so it’s something really near and dear to us,” Russell said.
When a woman has breast cancer, sometimes doctors have no choice but to perform a mastectomy, which is the surgical removal of one or both breasts. Survivors say it strips them of what makes them look and feel feminine. Russell and her family believe it’s their purpose to help women battling breast cancer build back the confidence they lost.
“It’s really important for those people to be seen, heard and have options available to them,” Russell said. “There are so many women that come in here that are not able to have reconstruction, or they just do not want to have any more surgeries after their battle with breast cancer.”
But not a lot of women know about these options, like this boutique that offers products to help survivors regain their self-esteem.
At the boutique, patients can be fitted for wigs and even custom breast prosthetics.
“They come in their fitted, they’re proper size, they feel whole again,” Russell said.
Feeling whole again is the whole purpose behind the boutique. “A New Dawn” has something for everyone, and there are even options for swimming.
“This is not something that patients should be intimidated by, it’s a really positive experience; we have a lot to offer breast cancer patients. They want to be able to be seen in public as normal and we’re a really positive part of their journey for them! It’s really beautiful to see them regain that self-confidence in the fittings,” Russell said.
For more information about “A New Dawn” click here.