Seattle pool allows topless breast cancer survivor

The Seattle Parks and Recreation Department has reversed a
decision by its aquatics manager and decided to allow a
woman to swim topless.

A breast-cancer survivor, who had a double mastectomy
checked with the front desk of the Medgar Evars Pool in
Seattle where she was swimming, to make sure she could
swim topless.

Jodi Jaecks wanted to swim to help recover her strength
after she had chemotherapy for breast cancer and had both
breasts surgically removed.

She wasn’t ready to wear a swimsuit top. “At that time,
especially, my scars and chest were very sensitive,” said
Jaecks.

It’s not uncommon for women who have had double
mastectomies to go topless. In fact, it was something that
Jaecks had been reading about in cancer survivor online
forums.

Although the woman at the front desk of the Seattle pool
said it would be alright, when she checked with pool
managers – they had a different opinion.

They told Jaecks they were trying uphold a “family
environment” so she would need to “cover up.”

But once her story was published in The Stranger, the Parks
and Recreation Department changed its tune.

Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams said there’s
nothing to alarm the public, so the department decided to
make an exception to its dress policy for public pools.

Jaecks said that she took her story public because she
didn’t want it to be just about her; cancer patients
shouldn’t be made to feel self-conscious by asking special
permission.

“It didn’t feel like I lost femininity with my breasts. So
do I find it disturbing the thought of bearing my chest to
the world? Absolutely not.”

Jaecks hasn’t swum topless yet. She is planning a swim on
Monday. Her exception extends only to adult lap hours.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.