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

Betty Westgate

Categories: Medicine

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 here 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...

Read More

Other Subjects

Capt. L. H. R. Claydon, Late RAMC (V)

Capt. L. H. R. Claydon, Late RAMC (V)

Assistant Commissioner in the St John Ambulance Brigade, No. 1 District, 1919-1924. Serving Brother in the Order of St John.

Person, Armed Forces, Emergency Services, Medicine, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
St Thomas' Hospital

St Thomas' Hospital

Named after Thomas a Becket, so possibly founded after 1173 when Becket was canonised. As part of an Augustinian monastery, St Thomas’ (at the London Bridge site) was closed during the Reformation....

Place, Medicine

7 memorials
Squadron Leader Frank Allen Binks

Squadron Leader Frank Allen Binks

Frank Allen Binks was born on 17 May 1917 in Columbo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), a son of Harry Binks and Gladys Eleanor Binks née Allen. Much of the information about the man can be found on the Roy...

Person, Armed Forces, Medicine, Ceylon

War served, WW2
1 memorial
Sir John Milsom Rees

Sir John Milsom Rees

Laryngologist (ear, nose & throat surgeon) to royalty.  Born Wales.  Studied at St Barts, and in Edinburgh.  Surgeon at the Prince of Wales General Hospital in Tottenham and had a private pract...

Person, Medicine, Wales

1 memorial