A Naperville breast cancer survivor is knitting a path toward comfort and hope for others in her shoes, just months after receiving her diagnosis.
Sara’s diagnosis
Sara Gmitro went in for a routine mammogram in November 2025. Within the last decade, her exams had been followed up with ultrasounds and two biopsies, but she said nothing had come of them.
When her doctors asked her to come in for an additional mammogram and ultrasound, Sara wasn’t concerned– she had been through this process before. But this round of testing had a different outcome.
“During my ultrasound, I was told (I would) need to talk to a surgeon. And that was right before Christmas,” she said.
Shortly after the new year, and with guidance from her care team, she decided to undergo a mastectomy.
“I was out of work on medical leave for a month, and then I came back… As long as I take a pill for five years, my odds are like really low that it’s going to come back,” Gmitro said.
Life after surgery
She began wearing silicone prosthetics after her surgery. But she quickly discovered they weren’t the most comfortable or convenient options.
“Silicone prosthetics can be hot, they can be expensive, and you can’t get them right away,” Gmitro said. “You have to wait six weeks before you can even go get fitted for the silicone ones.”
Dr. Anna Chichura, breast surgical oncologist with Duly Health and Care’s Brian Moran Cancer Institute, echoed that cost can often be a barrier to women getting these prosthetics.
“Even if it’s available through insurance, patients can be paying up to $1,000 out of pocket,” Chichura said.
Discovering Knitted Knockers
As Gmitro went searching for a solution, she discovered Knitted Knockers, a crafty, handmade alternative to the traditional breast prosthesis. The knit or crocheted items are stuffed with a polyester fiberfill, similar to what’s used in pillows.
“I found the pattern online, and I thought, I’ve made socks before, years ago, and it’s kind of the same idea,” Gmitro said.
She started to knit some of her own.
“I was excited when I made my first pair. I showed my husband like, ‘Oh my gosh, look at these.’ And so it was nice to have something, you know, so when you went out in public, it just felt normal,” she said.
Her personal project quickly became part of something bigger: a network of women supporting each other, one stitch at a time.
Knitted Knockers makes and distributes its creations to people around the country, in whatever cup size and color the wearer requests, for free. Anyone can volunteer to get involved– which is exactly what Gmitro did.
“We’ve been distributing them in Illinois, and I brought them to my surgeon and to some other medical clinics,” she said.
Creating community
It’s how she met Karen Mangrum, a fellow breast cancer survivor. Karen doesn’t wear the knitted prosthetics herself, but dedicates plenty of time to making sure other women can.
“When you look in the mirror as a woman, your breasts are a part of you. And to not see them there, by choice, to not see them… I don’t know, I felt it would be devastating,” Mangrum said. “And so when I found out about Knockers and that I could actually crochet something and stuff and give it to someone that can put it in their bra and make them feel whole again, I’m almost in tears now just thinking about it.”
She added that being part of the Knitted Knockers network has given her a sense of purpose.
“It just makes me feel like I’m useful, you know, that I can really help someone just by crocheting,” she said.
Benefits to patients, care providers
Gmitro’s care providers say innovative solutions like this one go a long way in helping patients and medical teams alike.
“I think we have to humble ourselves that actually our patients teach us a lot about cancer. Because I always tell them I don’t live with the cancer, right,” Dr. Sudha Yarlagadda, breast medical oncologist with Duly Health and Care’s Brian Moran Cancer Institute, said. “So a lot of the things we learn about how to care for our patients actually come from our patients, and we have to take those things seriously.”
Dr. Chichura added that these prosthetics can help give patients a sense of normalcy more quickly than some other alternatives.
“There’s various sizes, and they can use them pretty much immediately after surgery as well, where some of these other prosthetics, we can’t,” Chichura said.
Requesting a Knocker
Requesting a Knitted Knocker is a simple process.
“You just go on the website, fill out the form, let us know your bra size, your cup size if you want,” Magrum said.
They are shipped and delivered within one to four weeks. Volunteers can make and give out their creations on their own timelines with the help of online tutorials.
Making an impact
Gmitro said that while her journey with cancer wasn’t easy, it put her in a position to help others going through some of the most difficult times in their lives.
“I don’t know, maybe there’s a reason why it happened,” she said.
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