Echinacea: A Service System Design for Mastectomy Patients

This actually starts with a very sad personal story of one of my Mom’s close friends: my mom’s friend underwent a mastectomy followed by breast reconstruction surgery. Although the surgery was successful, she lost half of her left breast. We congratulated her on the successful outcome, and she appeared happy and looked well. However, two months later, she tragically took her own life. This was devastating and shocking news for us.

Mastectomy, a surgical procedure for the removal of one or both breasts to treat breast cancer, impacts not only the physical well-being of patients but also their psychological and emotional health. Although physical recovery can be achieved, many patients experience profound psychological trauma, including depression, anxiety, and a diminished sense of identity.

Inspired by my Mom’s friend’s tragedy, I embarked on designing a holistic service system aimed at supporting patients post-mastectomy.