"I was really depressed. But I felt even worse when I went looking for a good prosthesis. I tried every breast on the market. They were globs; there were no rights or lefts. You wouldn't think of putting your right shoe on your left foot, would you?"

This 1977 article from People's archive hails Ruth's return to the "breast business." In the interview, the mother of Barbie describes why she felt moved to create a company to manufacture better prostheses. Source it to hear more about Ruth's inspired innovations for women who've had a breast removed.

Time, Inc. | © all rights reserved

When the cancer patient couldn't find a decent prosthetic breast on the market, she decided it was time she created one for her fellow mastectomees. In 1976, Ruth founded the company Nearly Me, bringing together doctors, engineers, chemists, designers + female patients to create a line of silicon + foam models. Her protheses not only took size + shape, left + right into consideration, but also their weight + feel. Her bold sales pitch? Telling prospective customers to give her bra a "good squeeze" to see if they could tell the difference!

Albany | © all rights reserved