BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) — A Philadelphia singer who’s also a cancer patient is now venturing into the business world. The business comes after years of fighting cancer and many complications. Now, it’s about helping other women.
Instead of notes from doctors, Jessy Kyle’s laptop is now filled with a different kind of support.
Kyle created a new bra inspired by her medical journey, which included a heart attack and kidney transplant.
“I’m a three-time survivor of Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” Kyle said. “I was 16 when I was diagnosed, so it’s almost 35 years. It changed me in the sense that I am just very goal-oriented and focused.”
That focus zeroed in on a problem she and many women face when looking for a bra.
“OK, my band fits, my cup doesn’t fit. My cup fits, but my band doesn’t fit. My shoulder straps fall off,” Kyle said. “So our functionality fixes all of that.”
With input and sizing from her 78-year-old mother and 16-year-old daughter, Kyle designed a bra with great flexibility.
“Our shoulders strap in addition to our slider. We have an additional four inches of adjustability of this patent,” Kyle said. “So now you get tight and loosen to your comfort level. This is for really anybody who wears a bra, but specifically for women who have struggled finding their right fit and their comfort level.”
From her garage in Bucks County, she runs the Betterly Bra Company.
She’s living an American dream of survival and accomplishment. Kyle’s other job is as a musician.
We first met Jessy last year as she prepared to perform for Abramson’s Philly Fights Cancer event for the hospital that saved her life.
“I always saw the goal. And as difficult as everything has been that my health issues really have been in my anchor,” Kyle said.
Now, her new goal with Betterly Bras is helping other women find the right fit.
“I just want to make women feel good about themselves,” Kyle said. “And that seems pretty easy compared to everything I’ve been through.”
She says she’s finally healthy now after receiving a kidney transplant from her husband.