ondear Unique underwear pays special attention to breast cancer survivors
Ocala’s unique underwear reserve for mastectomy projects, including breast prostheses, professional bras, vests, headscarves, swimwear, sleepwear with cooling wicking materials, wigs, etc.
When you walk into the welcome door of Unique Lingerie, you will be greeted by Queenie.
The elegantly decorated Schnauzer is the mascot of the store, offering specialized clothing for breast cancer survivors in addition to other commodities.
Edna Turner-Degeneste, owner and president of the company, said: “It is one of my greatest pleasures to work with clients who deal with one of the most horrific operations women may experience.”
She saw the work she and her staff did as a ministry.
“The only reason this store is still here is that God wants us to open the door,” she said.
The unique underwear has been located at 4414 SW College Road, Heath Brook Street since 2009. Prior to this, the company had a home in Carriage Trade in eastern Ocala.
The store sells items after mastectomy, including breast prostheses, professional bras, vests, headscarves, swimwear, sleepwear and wigs with cooling wicking materials.
Turner-Degeneste said that the medical term for “wigs” is “skull prosthesis”.
“Have you ever wondered why there is a corresponding medical term for wear after mastectomy?” she asked.
She said it was “medically necessary and obligated to get the best prosthesis for women with breast cancer because she has already undergone this procedure.”
For medical reasons, insurance companies will fund essentials. She said that she has established a unique network of underwear with many insurance companies.
She said that without a suitable breast implant, a person may experience neck and back pain and bone problems. She said that to avoid this, you have to “balance,” she said, for example, a lighter prosthesis is best for the elderly.
She is now a certified fitter for mastectomy, but 45 years ago she was a police officer in New York City. She said that the former Marion County Sheriff and the US Marshall Don Morand were the reason for her relocation to Ocala, and she hired a local federal court employee at the Marshall Service Center in the United States.
She said she took time off and then went to Bermuda to help a friend with a bra accessories business. She began to be keen to open a bra accessories store in Ocala, and a unique underwear was born.
Turner-Degeneste is active in the community and is a member of the Royal Cancer Research Institute. In 2009, he won the Ocala Star Award from the Ocala/Marion County Chamber of Commerce and became the best minority enterprise of the year.
Although she is not a breast cancer survivor, Ocala entrepreneurs performed breast reconstruction surgery at the age of 26 to remove cysts from the breast.
