Lynn Simoncini never thought of herself as an innovator when she received her breast cancer diagnosis in 2022. However, after a double mastectomy, she found herself grappling with an unexpected source of pain during a routine activity — driving.
The pressure of wearing a tightly fastened seatbelt across her still-healing chest was agonising, making even short trips a challenge. It was a problem, she thought, that must be common, but there were no real solutions.
That’s when Lynn, a creative director at VML – a marketing partner of Ford – and a self-proclaimed “car girl”, started sketching out ideas. Simoncini’s initiative led to the creation of the Ford SupportBelt™, a device designed to address a need for women and men each year who undergo a mastectomy, or the removal of breast tissue, as part of their treatment plan.
Developed and designed by Ford, the contoured SupportBelt is made from soft, breathable foam that fastens to the seatbelt to help relieve pressure and reduce discomfort on a person's chest while driving.
Ford will first offer the SupportBelt – the only device of its kind designed and validated by an automaker – to mastectomy patients in the US at no cost. Those interested can stay up to date on Supportbelt availability by visiting SupportBelt | Ford®.
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in 157 countries, according to the World Health Organization. Ford has filed a patent for SupportBelt and plans to open it to other manufacturers so production can be scaled across the globe.
“I couldn't believe there wasn't a product made that makes your seat belt comfortable to wear and that also happens to look good,” Lynn says after her mastectomy. She shared her idea with her partner, Chad Woolums, and together they drafted a proposal for a supportive, comfortable belt designed specifically for post-mastectomy patients.
With the proposal in hand, Simoncini took the idea to Emily Obert, Ford experience design director. With Obert's guidance and the help of a team that included design intern Rima Shkoukani, the SupportBelt began to take shape. Rima, a senior industrial design student at Lawrence Tech, pored over research, interviewed breast cancer survivors and crafted prototypes.
The team worked with engineers to ensure that the SupportBelt met Ford’s quality standards. They also experimented with various materials, choosing a flexible and supportive foam wrapped in suede-like fabric constructed from nearly 40% recycled PET from water bottles that wraps around the seat belt using a Velcro fastener.
"I just want somebody who is using this product to say: 'I'm glad that there was somebody who understood what I am going through and considered this very specific small part of my recovery process in such a thoughtful and considerate way’,” Lynn says.
Designed with the input of patients and doctors, the SupportBelt provides a comfortable solution for patients to wear their seatbelts on either the driver or passenger side of the vehicle.
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I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys
Woody Allen
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