An online campaign has emerged to support a woman with breast cancer who suffered public abuse for wearing a knitted breast-shaped hat, like this one:
It started this week when the woman – who remains anonymous – wrote to her local paper, the Walden Local, about the incident, which took place in the Saffron Walden branch of Tesco:
The letter said:
I have a message for the 'lady' I met in Tesco on a recent Saturday afternoon. I was the one wearing the hand-knitted comedy "boob" hat who spoke to you.
You told me that you took offence to the hat and I should take it off. I started to politely explain that "I am currently affected by breast cancer and have lost my hair through chemotherapy. I was hoping that the hat would encourage people to talk to me, so I could explain and raise awareness of the importance of knowing and checking your own breasts."
But you only let me get as far as telling you I had lost my hair through chemotherapy before you interrupted, telling me that perhaps I should stay behind closed doors until I didn't look like a "sick freak".
You then just walked off. I quietly paid for my shopping and left before anyone noticed the tears. Up until that point I had been dealing with cancer in a very positive and strong manner – positive mental attitude by the bucketload is how my consultant described it, but thanks to you, not any more.
I just wanted to fully explain as to why I wore the hat.
On Wednesday evening, a Facebook page, Saffron Walden Boobiebellion, was set up, and has since gained more than 4,500 likes.
And now people are sending in photos of themselves wearing "booby" hats.
Online sex shop Bondara is flying in more of its "booby beanie hats" (pictured above) and donating the profits to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
And people are busy making hats ahead of a "Booby Hat Flash Mob" at Tesco in Saffron Walden on 14 February, which has more than 400 confirmed attendees.
One attendee, Zoe Russell, wrote on the event page:
I'm coming up to four years since being diagnosed with breast cancer at age 36. Awareness is crucial, please count on me to show my support to this lovely lady and hopefully raise a few £s for a charity very dear to many people's hearts.
Another, Leigh Fleetwood, said:
Really close to my heart, my mum had breast cancer and recovered from it – several years later I had thyroid cancer and mum got ovarian cancer.
Unfortunately she passed away after 18 months [but] I am still here eight years after my diagnosis. I had my breasts removed as a precaution along with my thyroid and ovaries and realise the importance for women and men to check themselves and go for those check ups!
P.S. Can someone please make me a booby hat for the 14th pretty please?
The maker of the "boobie" hat, Angela Milton, wrote to the page to say the hat was designed to raise awareness, and that the original letter writer wants to remains anonymous:
Hi I'm the lady that made the "offensive" hat for the lady who wore it. Can I please make a request? Please please please, can you keep her name out of the press if you know her. She wants to remain anonymous.
The whole point of my making the hat was for it to be a discussion point, to let people know to check themselves – not just breasts – regularly, and to recognise the signs and symptoms of cancer. Please let's not lose sight of this.
The attention from the press has been making her very stressed, and we all want her to get better, so please let's let her concentrate on that, rather than spending her recovery answering messages from reporters. It's not that the support is not appreciated, we just want her better.
Many thanks xx
Meanwhile, the campaign has made it to Instagram...
...and Twitter, with thousands of people expressing their support as far away as Sydney, Australia.
Hey @Zoe__Davidson you have our full boobie hat wearing support with your #boobymob!