Honda owner gets gift from Ford just before surgery
Breast cancer survivor describes her will to live
The package for Ashley Barringer arrived a day or two before her operation.
Scheduled for a double-mastectomy at age 44, the nurse case manager from Clermont, Florida, just west of Orlando, said she knew the car ride home would be painful and scary if she didn’t take precautions.
Her solution came in the form of a gift from Ford Motor Company: What looked like an oblong pillow that was, in fact, a soft custom pad that could be affixed to the cross-body car seatbelt.
“I wore it home from the hospital,” Barringer said. “My husband drove. I was so comfortable and felt so confident being in the car.”
Without the SupportBelt — which Ford designed and made for breast cancer patients at no cost except shipping — driving home wouldn’t be safe or comfortable, Barringer said.
“I actually first heard about the product in some of the Facebook breast cancer support groups,” she said. “Those, in themselves, were a lifesaver. It was a network you would never know existed until you go through this.”
A breast cancer kit she had ordered on Amazon actually included a seatbelt pad but it was thin and uncomfortable. This made driving in the car a pain-free experience, Barringer said.
A global response to the project
Since Ford announced news of its special accessory in October, the company has received more than 2,500 orders from U.S.-based customers and inquiries from as far away as Argentina, South Africa and Australia, Ford spokesman Dan Barbossa told me.
Orders for the launch were limited to the U.S. only, and Ford is working to catch up on filling its initial orders as quickly as possible, he said.
Approximately 1 in 8 women or 13% in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. In 2021, an estimated 3.9 million women were living with breast cancer.
Taking a drastic step while focusing on life
While breast cancer is not uncommon, Barringer’s circumstances were unique.
She decided to get a double mastectomy even though she only had cancer in one breast. Family history foreshadowed what she saw as inevitable.
Barringer said she wanted to share her story with me in hopes that other women might take extra care to get breast exams and protect themselves.
Her timeline: After two biopsies on the right breast in October 2023, doctors found no cancer. She’d had multiple mammograms and ultrasounds. In March 2024, more tests. In August 2024, a mammogram revealed a new area of calcification on the right side and recommended a biopsy. Again, ultrasounds on both breasts. In September, another biopsy revealed early breast cancer that hadn’t spread.
Tired of being tired
“This is when you want to catch it. My mom went through this when she was 65 and had a double mastectomy,” Barringer said. “I have been a nurse for 20 years, and I used to work for a breast surgeon. I saw a ton of women get breast biopsies and cancer. I decided a long time ago, if had a breast cancer diagnosis would get a double mastectomy.”
She didn’t want a lumpectomy or radiation or medication. She was exhausted by the tests and the time spent getting them and the co-pays.
“I was, like, I’m done. I want them both gone and I don’t ever want to worry about this again,” Barringer said.
She worked out five days a week and walked 10,000 steps a day. She rode the Peloton bike at least twice a week and lifted weights. She often hiked with her Beagle, Lily.
Her oncologist operated just before Thanksgiving, and pathology tests later showed cancer in the second breast that was removed. Barringer said she feels safe now.
“I have such a passion about women being open about this topic,” she said. “There's nothing embarrassing. I didn't do anything wrong to get this. I think a lot of women are scared to tell people.”
Saving her breasts wasn't the biggest concern, Barringer said. “My concern was, how do I save my life and my mental health? I hope we’re having a moment where people can say, ‘I had cancer and I can talk to you about it.’ This is what I did because it was the best thing for me.”
As she heals, she is using the seatbelt accessory sent by Ford in her Honda Accord.
“I love that I had the opportunity to try this product,” Barringer said.
Emily Obert, Ford experience design director, worked to bring the breast cancer accessory to market.
“The number of orders we received after launch validates that this is a real issue that people have been facing,” she said. “Our goal from the beginning was to make sure that no person should have to sacrifice comfort to wear their seatbelt properly.”
Obert worked with breast cancer patient Lynn Simoncini, creative director at the international VML marketing and communications agency, which specializes in customer experiences for Ford.
She noticed that breast cancer patients often use makeshift pillows or modify the seatbelt, which can compromise safety.
SupportBelts may be ordered at no cost (except shipping) here.
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This reminded me of a sad personal story. My Mom and Dad had to take my grandmother home after fractured hip surgery. Because she was uncomfortable and sitting in the backseat, they decided to "just this once" forgo the use of a seat belt. They were hit head on by a drunk driver. My parents were safely belted and their injuries were bruising and aches and pains. My grandmother, OTOH, had a concussion and permanent double vision. Of course, her visual issues resulted in a lack of mobility and shortened her life by a lot-- she was restricted to a wheelchair and completely dependent on care, she quickly lost her will to live.
A close friend's baby was lost in her two weeks before she was due. On the way home from the hospital, no doubt distraught, they were in an accident. Fortunately, it was minor.
The moral of the stories: Always wear a seat belt, even if you are in unusual circumstances. I am glad this woman had the seat belt adapter. You just never know.
Ford doing without asking for accolades is fantastic. When I was getting infusions at the local cancer clinic I received a blanket to help keep warm, unsolicited, by Subaru.
The quiet helpers are the best.