The Alliance in Reconstructive Surgery (AIR) Foundation was launched at an exclusive event at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, CA, in October.
The organisation was founded in 2012 by Janet Denlinger and Morgan Hare of Hylaco, LLC, and well renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr Rod Rohrich. The mission of the AIRS Foundation is to provide access to breast reconstruction, after mastectomy, to women who cannot afford this procedure.
Restorative breast surgery is a vital part of total physical and emotional healing for many breast cancer survivors, yet 70% of those who would like to have it don’t have the insurance or other resources to cover it. The Foundation is dedicated to providing women, around the world, access to reconstructive breast surgery to help restore their lives to normal
Co-Founder, Dr Rod Rohrich said, ‘It’s a little known fact that a majority of women who would choose to have reconstructive surgery are not able to because of the cost. AIRS is a one-of-a-kind organisation, which fills this need and is dedicated to supporting and funding a woman’s right to restoration, education, health, and wholeness.
‘As a surgeon who does both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, I was inspired to launch AIRS with Morgan and Janet. We wanted to create an organisation that offered education not only to patients and their caregivers but also to the medical community, for enhanced treatment and outcomes,’ he continued.
Educating women about their post-mastectomy options is of particular importance to the Foundation, as a great percentage of women diagnosed with breast cancer are unsure of — or unaware of — their reconstruction options. Most breast cancer survivors who have had a complete or partial mastectomy are candidates for breast reconstruction.
The Foundation works in partnership with physicians worldwide, providing the resources necessary to make reconstruction an option for women who would not otherwise have access to this surgery.
The foundation also offers funding for breast cancer reconstruction, as well as education to physician and the medical communities, mastectomy patients, caregivers, and advocacy organisations, while supporting advances in health care research.
