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Abington Student Stories: Artist empowers breast cancer patients

Abington student's creativity, compassion help women recovering from mastectomies

Susan Stanton balanced the rigorous art coursework at Penn State Abington with earning a certification to fit breast cancer patients with prostheses. Credit: Michelle Bixby / Penn StateCreative Commons

Delicate fabrics and soft lighting stand in stark contrast to the sterile file cabinets filled with doctors' notes and health insurance forms in visual artist Susan Stanton's workspace — the place where her craft merges with a healing practice for breast cancer patients.

While pursing her art degree at Penn State Abington, Stanton works at a boutique that sells lingerie and prostheses for women in various stages of cancer treatment and recovery. She found herself drawn to the clients who came to Jay Ann Intimates for breast form fittings.

"The loss of a body part can be traumatic and life altering, but it is not their identity and does not define them,” she said.

Stanton found mentors in the shop's mastectomy fitters and enrolled in industry-mandated classes. She even traveled to Detroit to study body and chest wall casting, which aids in the creation of custom breast forms, before earning her mastectomy fitter certification in 2013.

Stanton said being an artist informs her fitting practice.

“It's a very visual process. I have to be creative when evaluating a woman’s surgical site and making decisions about the type of prosthetic," she said. "Observing and assessing what will work visually and comfort wise for balance and symmetry is a key part of fitting."

Stanton, who at one point considered a nursing career, described her work as fulfilling.

"It is a great feeling when my clients leave the shop a little more confident in their skin,” she said. “In our society so much emphasis is placed on outer beauty and youth. The women I meet are a constant reminder that true beauty radiates from the inside.”

Susan Stanton, examining a breast form in a fitting room at Jay Ann Intimates, said her art background informs the practice of fitting clients for prostheses. Credit: Regina Broscius / Penn StateCreative Commons

While working at the boutique, Stanton also flourished at Abington. She was one of 24 students hand-picked by faculty to enroll in a groundbreaking multidisciplinary course, and her art earned a place in the permanent collection at Abington — "a place that is very special and close to my heart,” she said.

Stanton also accompanied Yvonne Love, assistant professor of art, and four Abington students on a weeklong residency in Maine. They lived and created communally at a former New York art dealer’s home and soaked up knowledge about careers and the gallery scene from their hostess and Love.

“Every learning experience helps me develop my own voice and presence as an artist," Stanton said of her experiences.

Susan Stanton spent a week in Maine for an art residency with Abington students and faculty. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

 

Susan Stanton's journal reflection on a breathing meditation. Credit: Regina Broscius / Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated July 20, 2015

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