"It Takes Me an Hour to Get Up Because of My Large Breasts"... Woman in Her 30s Launches Fundraiser for £8,000 Surgery [Health Talk]

[Financial News] In the UK, a woman in her 30s has begun raising £8,000 (approximately 16 million KRW) for surgery, saying her daily life has become difficult because of her large breasts.
According to The Sun on the 27th, Melissa Ashcroft, 30, who lives in Scotland, reported suffering from severe back pain, inability to exercise, and difficulty caring for her child due to her breasts, which weigh as much as 16 kilograms.
Melissa said, "As soon as I hit puberty, I was teased for supposedly stuffing my bra with towels," adding, "School life was miserable. Since then, I have constantly suffered from severe back pain."
She continued, "Even when my alarm rings in the morning, I can't get up right away. It takes me an hour just to get out of bed because it's hard to support my body," and added, "It breaks my heart that I can't even hold my 8-month-old daughter."
Melissa explained, "The immense weight of my breasts causes severe back pain," and noted, "I've tried various methods such as physical therapy to relieve the pain, but nothing has worked, so I've ultimately decided to consider surgery."
She said, "When I was about 20, I looked into government-supported breast reduction surgery, but the National Health Service (NHS) advised me to have the procedure only after giving birth and breastfeeding." However, after having two children, she faced the 'BMI' barrier.
The NHS informed her, "Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is too high for us to provide the surgery."
Melissa said, "My current BMI is 35, but they told me to lower it to 27. They explained that if you are obese, anesthesia may not work well and there is a higher risk of blood clots and infection." She added, "But I'm too embarrassed to go to the gym, and above all, my back pain makes exercise nearly impossible. How am I supposed to lose weight?"
She continued, "Doctors recommended weight loss injections, but I don't want to try them because two family members experienced side effects such as vomiting and gallstone removal."
Melissa said, "A private hospital told me that breast reduction surgery is possible without BMI restrictions." She appealed for donations, saying, "If I can just raise £8,000 (about 16 million KRW) for the surgery, my life will completely change. I'll be able to run around the park with my children and finally hold my daughter in my arms."

Having excessively large breasts can make daily life difficult. In addition to pain in the shoulders, neck, back, and spine, frequent inflammation under the breasts, headaches, and chronic fatigue may occur. Overt stares from others can also lead to psychological distress, resulting in loss of confidence and even depression.
Breast reduction is performed to resolve both internal and external issues caused by abnormally large breasts. Since the procedure often involves removing glandular tissue as well as reducing size, it can affect the ability to breastfeed. There is also a risk of side effects such as reduced nipple sensation or damage to the mammary glands.
The surgery typically takes between 90 minutes and four hours, and most women are left with scars around the nipple or along the breast crease. Recovery usually takes two to six weeks, and strenuous exercise should be avoided for six weeks after surgery.
If the procedure preserves the nipple, areola, and the ends of the mammary glands, breastfeeding may still be possible, but this depends on the condition of the patient's breasts and the experience of the medical staff. Anyone planning pregnancy and breastfeeding should consult a specialist thoroughly before surgery.
moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter