​​Ford SupportBelt​

Anyone reading this blog will know someone who has been affected by cancer. Whether it be a friend, relative, or loved one, it seems everyone is uniquely impacted by the horrible disease. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in life and over 100,000 mastectomies are performed yearly. Because of this, countless women are unable to wear their seat belts properly after surgery, and obviously, this presents a safety concern when driving or riding in a vehicle. Ford has decided to step in and do something about this with its SupportBelt.  

A Winning Idea to Help Women Post-Surgery 

While there are many companies out there that make various accessories for post-surgery assistance, to date, Ford Motor Company is the only manufacturer that has stepped up to make a factory-backed product with the assistance and guidance of women, doctors, designers, and engineers. What has come from this effort and the amazing work by the Ford Human Centered Design team is an accessory that can be attached to the chest portion of the seat belt via Velcro. The SupportBelt features a foam core that helps to dissipate any sort of discomfort to the chest, along with Bali suede-like material that is made from about 40% recycled materials (while still meeting the standards set by Ford for interior quality products). The SupportBelt also has leather-trimmed accents for a quality fit and finish.  

Any Automaker Can Make Its Own 

Ford is opening the design to be licensed by other automakers to design and manufacture their own post-mastectomy SupportBelt to support women and make this more of a global initiative where companies can work together to create more products that assist cancer patients in the future.  

30+ Years of Support 

Believe it or not, 2024 marked 30 years of Ford support for breast cancer research. Ford has happily put more than $139 million towards the cause and efforts to change the future of breast cancer through its Warriors in Pink initiative.  

Free to Those Who Reserve One 

Amazingly, for patients looking to get SupportBelts, Ford is providing them at no cost to reservation holders. To see if the SupportBelt works for you, it measures 18.7 inches in length, 6.3 inches in width, and 2.5 inches in thickness.  

The SupportBelt Can at Least Help 

Women should in no way feel uncomfortable or bothered after their surgeries and when going through the frustrating post-surgery processes of chemo, radiation, and the like. They have had to deal with enough, which is why Ford feels it is important to protect and care for them after their surgeries. The SupportBelt is made to assist in putting less stress on women who are dealing with pain, scars, swelling, ports, and other annoyances.  

Why Choose Dick Smith Ford of Columbia 

At Dick Smith Ford of Columbia, we value our customers and offer some of the best prices and services. With more than 100 new and used vehicles to choose from, our outstanding sales team and finance department will work hard to make sure you drive away happy. Our fantastic service department will take care of your new-to-you vehicle as if it were their own.