Fantastic news for an Irish start-up! Ciara Donlon, of Theya Healthcare, has been shortlisted for the 2017 Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards.
Founded in 2015, Theya Healthcare designs and manufactures a post-surgery lingerie range for breast cancer patients. Theya Healthcare sells their products internationally.
“I set up Theya Healthcare because I wanted to help women undergoing breast cancer treatment feel better about themselves and heal faster. For that to be acknowledged by an organisation like Cartier means a lot. Hopefully, more women who can benefit from our products will now have a chance to access them,” said founder and CEO Donlon.
Innovative post-op fabric mix
Theya Healthcare’s products use a fabric mix made from bamboo. The mix is anti-bacterial, regulates body temperature and is significantly more absorbent than cotton. In addition, the fabric is soft, which reduces the possibility of skin irritation. These qualities, claims Theya, make the fabric mix “ideal for post-operative products.”
History of Theya Healthcare
Prior to setting up Theya Healthcare, Ciara Donlon ran a lingerie shop in Dublin. Unable to find products that met the needs of women who had been through breast cancer surgery Donlon decided to create a post-breast wear. Theya Healthcare consulted breast cancer survivors in Ireland and the UK, as well as healthcare professionals, before launching their lingerie range.
Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards
The 2017 Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards takes place in Singapore between 8 and 13 April.
Ireland has had significant success at the awards.
In 2013, Leonora O’Brien’s software company Pharmapod won the European leg. Pharmapod is a cloud based-software platform that allows pharmacists and stakeholders to share knowledge around the world.
In 2015, Ciara Clancy of Beats Medical won the European award. Beats Medical’s smartphone app provides ‘specialised cueing treatment’ for Parkinson’s patients. This sound-wave treatment enables people to regain mobility.