At 14, Tracey Grills caught a glimpse of her great-grandmother getting dressed and assumed one breast simply had not grown.
She would only understand years later what she had seen. Her great-grandmother had undergone a mastectomy at a time when breast cancer was rarely discussed openly. Today, that memory is part of what drives Tracey’s work supporting people as they navigate life after breast surgery.
“I now can only wonder what she went through while all the time putting on that perfect front,” she shares. Tracey’s path into post-mastectomy care began decades later, when she was looking for something beyond the corporate career she had been building.
In 2010, she began volunteering with the McGrath Foundation, an experience that introduced her to women living through the realities of breast cancer treatment and recovery.
“I started volunteering for the foundation after deciding that putting extra hours into a corporate role was not giving me any personal growth or happiness.”
It was through that work on the Sunshine Coast that Tracey met a McGrath breast care nurse named Cathy who encouraged her to establish a mobile fitting service while continuing to work full-time.
In 2011, she launched the mobile service, offering fittings for specialised lingerie and breast forms in the privacy of customers’ homes.
“It didn’t take long sitting in lounge rooms or on someone’s bed to see there was a need to give them a place to shop,” she says.
“Often, doing home visits, ladies would be in their pyjamas, no wig and at their lowest. After a visit and fitting them in specialised garments, I could see the positive impact my visit had made.
“There were often tears from both of us, and we shared stories and a hug.
“I look back now, however, nothing has changed, women just want to feel themselves again after all they go through fighting their breast cancer diagnosis.”
What she encountered there shaped her understanding of what women needed beyond the products themselves.
“Quickly I realised that often ladies were exhausted trying to find something to suit their new body shape,” Tracey says. “They were also looking for someone to listen and understand what they were going through and looking for solutions.”
That philosophy remains central to Tracey G Prosthetics & Lingerie, which has since grown from a mobile service into a specialist retailer with stores in east Brisbane, Maroochydore and Toowoomba.
The business stocks mastectomy lingerie, swimwear, clothing, breast forms and surgical garments, and caters to a broad range of body shapes and sizes.
“I try to stock every mastectomy brand worldwide, for that, we are the largest mastectomy retailer in Australia,” Tracey says.
The stores cater to women from size six to 34 and cup sizes AA to LL, while also supporting men following surgery.
“There isn’t a lady we haven’t been able to find a bra for, and for that we are most proud,” she says.
For Tracey, creating an environment where people can find specialist products without feeling out of place is just as important as the range itself.
“We were fortunate to be offered an opportunity to partner with Amoena and open their first Amoena concept store here in Queensland,” Tracey says.
“Amoena are the largest manufacturer in the world, which meant the ladies of the Sunshine Coast had access to the largest range possible in post-mastectomy garments and breast forms.”
Amoena has recently unveiled its Signature Range, a premium collection of post-mastectomy lingerie designed to marry sophisticated luxury with everyday comfort. Crafted with delicate lace, seamless silhouettes and skin-friendly fabrics, this collection ensures women never have to choose between elegance and support.
The business has continued to grow, with 11 women now employed alongside Tracey and her husband Shane. The team ranges in age from 31 to 73.
While Tracey’s work centres on the practical realities of finding the right garments and prostheses, she also keeps a close eye on the future of breast cancer treatment.
“I started as a volunteer community representative with the Comprehensive Breast Cancer Institute committee at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital to give back where I can,” she says. “This has been a wonderful insight into developments coming through in surgery advancements, new technologies and surgical pathways.”
That knowledge is particularly valuable when supporting people whose recovery has not gone according to plan.
“There is always a solution, it might not be obvious, however, we specialise in finding solutions especially for failed reconstruction or where women think there is no hope,” she says.
Tracey also works with hospitals and helps eligible customers navigate Medicare support for breast prostheses. “Medicare also give $400 per breast every two years for those affected by breast cancer to cover the cost of their prosthesis. We take care of this in the store to save the ladies time and make the process as hassle-free as possible.”
More than a decade after she first began visiting women in their homes, Tracey’s original motivation remains at the heart of the business.
Her great-grandmother’s experience belonged to a generation where difficult conversations were often kept behind closed doors. Tracey has spent her career helping create the kind of space where those conversations can happen openly, privately and without judgement.
“I try to treat every customer as family, not selling something they don’t need, overcharging or even having stock too highly priced,” she says. “I want every woman to find something in her price range that makes her feel good about herself.”
For Tracey, the work is about much more than finding the right product. It’s about helping people regain a sense of confidence, comfort and self.
Visit traceyg.com