Mother-of-two, 29, with 38KK breasts says her giant chest is ruining her life

Publish date: 2024-07-09

A mother-of-two with size 38KK breasts says her life is being ruined by her enormous chest.

Danielle Sullivan, 29, says she struggles to walk for more than 15 minutes because of crippling back, shoulder and knee pains.

The pain keeps her up at night and the pressure of her giant breasts causes painful sores and bruises which put her at risk of developing infections.

The mental healthcare assistant said she has been denied reduction surgery by her NHS doctors, who classed the procedure as cosmetic.

And as well as the physical agony her chest causes, she has also become extremely self-conscious when out in public because her breasts are 'the first thing people notice'.

Desperate but unable to afford cosmetic surgery herself, Ms Sullivan is now trying to crowdfund the £8,000 she needs for an operation to reduce the size of them.  

Danielle Sullivan, pictured with her daughter, said she is self-conscious about her breasts because they're so big 'they're the first thing people look at' – but she says she has been denied NHS reduction surgery

Danielle Sullivan, pictured with her daughter, said she is self-conscious about her breasts because they're so big 'they're the first thing people look at' – but she says she has been denied NHS reduction surgery

Ms Sullivan, from Selby in North Yorkshire, said her breasts cause 'constant' pain and make her back and shoulders ache so much it keeps her up at night (Pictured with her partner, Christopher Dean)

Ms Sullivan, from Selby in North Yorkshire, said her breasts cause 'constant' pain and make her back and shoulders ache so much it keeps her up at night (Pictured with her partner, Christopher Dean)

Ms Sullivan, pictured with her partner Christopher Dean, said: 'I struggle to walk for more than 15 minutes without them hurting'

Ms Sullivan, pictured with her partner Christopher Dean, said: 'I struggle to walk for more than 15 minutes without them hurting'

Ms Sullivan, from Selby in North Yorkshire, said: 'They have made my life a living nightmare in so many ways.

'The pain is constant. It begins from the moment I wake up and lasts until I go to bed.

'I take quite strong painkillers but they often don't work at all. I've had sores and open wounds on my breasts and they're absolute agony.

'The back pain from the sheer weight of them is terrible too. I struggle to walk for more than 15 minutes without them hurting.

'I'm very self conscious about the size of them too. It's the first thing people notice about me.'

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Ms Sullivan says her breasts regularly develop painful sores and wounds meaning that she's often at risk of infection.

Finding nice fitting clothes is also a struggle for Ms Sullivan because of the size of her breasts and she says she avoids wearing anything too revealing.

She said: 'I have to buy my bras online as most shops don't stock my size. When they come they're like granny bras and they're not very nice.

'I struggle to find tops and nice clothes that show my figure. I just feel comfortable wearing baggy t-shirts and and my partner's tops, I can't wear anything flattering.'

Ms Sullivan regularly develops sores and bruises underneath her breasts because of the pressure caused by their weight. These put her at risk of developing infections

Ms Sullivan regularly develops sores and bruises underneath her breasts because of the pressure caused by their weight. These put her at risk of developing infections

Ms Sullivan said that even losing two stone did nothing to reduce the size of her breasts, and that nothing she does seems to help

Ms Sullivan said that even losing two stone did nothing to reduce the size of her breasts, and that nothing she does seems to help

'I have to buy my bras online as most shops don't stock my size,' Ms Sullivan said. She added that she struggles to find flattering clothes so often settles for baggy t-shirts

'I have to buy my bras online as most shops don't stock my size,' Ms Sullivan said. She added that she struggles to find flattering clothes so often settles for baggy t-shirts

Can you get breast reduction surgery on the NHS? Size of a woman's breasts, their weight, their age, whether they smoke, will be considered before surgery is offered

Breast reduction surgery is done to reduce the size and weight of a woman's breasts, and involves removing fat, tissue and skin from the chest.

Genes, hormones and body shape and size may determine how large a woman's breasts are – usually they are in proportion to the rest of the body but some women's may be exceptionally large.

Whether the NHS will offer the operation may depend on where someone lives and why they want the operation.

The NHS will not usually do a breast reduction for cosmetic reasons. 

However, it may be considered if a women is experiencing effects like backache, neck or shoulder pain, rashes or skin infections beneath the breasts, or psychological distress. 

The NHS may also consider the size of a woman's breasts, their weight, their age, whether they smoke, and whether other solutions have been tried.

And local funding availability also plays a role – different NHS boards around the country have different criteria so women living in some areas may be more able to get the surgery than those in others. 

Source: NHS Choices 

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Ms Sullivan said that she first became aware of the size of her chest at the age of 10 when she had already grown into a B-cup.

She said: 'At school people would always comment about how big they were.

'Boys always stared at me and it made me feel very uncomfortable from quite an early age.

'All the girls used to be envious of me and say "I wish I had what you had" but the reality is that it's been a real struggle.

'I'm self-conscious all the time, it makes me not want to go to places and do things.

'If I know I'm going somewhere nice I get anxious about what I'm going to wear and how I can minimise the size of them.'

Her bulky bust means that Ms Sullivan struggles to be as active as she would like and says she finds it difficult to stand up for long periods of time.

She says that the sheer size of her chest can also prevent her from playing with her children because of the pain it causes.

She said: 'When my youngest was small the size of my boobs was a real issue.

'I struggled to pick him up and hold him. Even now with both my kids playing around with them can be a real problem as it makes running around pretty tricky.

'I've lost two stone recently and it's made no difference at all.

'No matter what weight I've been my boobs have always been an issue.'

Ms Sullivan says she has tried to get a breast reduction on the NHS but she has been denied the procedure on the grounds of it being a cosmetic procedure.

Ms Sullivan said the size of her breasts has made it difficult for her to be as active as she'd like to be and to play with her children

Ms Sullivan said the size of her breasts has made it difficult for her to be as active as she'd like to be and to play with her children

Ms Sullivan said she has been cursed with large breasts since she was in primary school, growing into a B-cup by the time she was just 10 years old

Ms Sullivan said she has been cursed with large breasts since she was in primary school, growing into a B-cup by the time she was just 10 years old

She said: 'Having the surgery would change my life. I'd be able to be a better mum to my children and would be able to live a fuller life.

'The pain and the physical restrictions break my heart sometimes. I just want to be there for my kids as any mum would.'

Ms Sullivan and her family are currently trying to raise £8,000 on GoFundMe in a bid to have the surgery privately. 

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