91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Person    | Female  Born 19/2/1919  Died 18/12/2000

Betty Westgate

Categories: Medicine

Betty Westgate

Health campaigner. When diagnosed with breast cancer, she was dismayed at the lack of information and support for sufferers of the disease. This led her to found the charity which was to become Breast Cancer Care. In the 1970s, before breast reconstruction became widespread, post-operative women were advised to stuff handkerchiefs, cotton wool, or even tights into their bras. This spurred her to design the 'Cumfie', which was soft, washable and spin-dryable.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Betty Westgate

Commemorated ati

Betty Westgate

Betty Westgate MBE, 1919 - 2000, a pioneer and campaigner for breast cancer s...

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Other Subjects

Denise Capstick

Denise Capstick

Councillor Major Denise Capstick. Bermondsey councillor, Mayor of Southwark and Executive Member for Health and Social Care. Nurse reservist in the army. Rose to the rank of Major in the Territoria...

Person, Armed Forces, Medicine, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Great Plague

Great Plague

Europe suffered a number of bubonic plaque epidemics from 1347 – 1750.  The last major outbreak in England was in 1665-6 and killed about 100,000 people, 20% of London’s population at the time.  It...

Event, Medicine, Tragedy

1 memorial
City Pest House

City Pest House

From Islington:The Pest House was built in 1594, in the fields where Bath Street is now situated. It served to isolate those suffering from such incurable or infectious diseases as leprosy and the ...

Building, Medicine

1 memorial
Joseph Lister

Joseph Lister

Born in Upton, Essex. Died in Walmer, Kent. Pioneer in the use of antiseptics in surgery. The medical historian, Ruth Richardson, has an interesting piece in the Lancet reporting on how Agnes his w...

Person, Medicine

3 memorials
Kenneth Smedley MacLean, FRCP

Kenneth Smedley MacLean, FRCP

Emeritus Physician at Guy's. Lived in Woldingham. His obituary by the Royal College of Physicians gives much information about the man. Kenneth Smedley MacLean was born on 22 November 1914, the e...

Person, Armed Forces, Medicine

1 memorial