A baker with giant size K breasts that constantly 'knock things over' and saw her dubbed 'Big Tits' by cruel pals is fundraising for a reduction - after being 'ignored by the NHS'. Jasmin Mcletchie suffers from back pain so severe that she struggles to sit in one position and suffers from stooped posture as her back can't support the weight of her breasts.
Jasmin, 33, deals with flakey skin caused by being constantly stretched, deep welts on her shoulders from straps digging in and feels 'strangled' by the crushing weight of them when she lies down in bed. The mum-of-one has had to ditch underwired bras due to them causing sores and rashes - with the wires in the last one she wore buckling under the weight of her chest and snapping.
Jasmin, who wears size 22/24 tops, says that not only does she feel physically burdened by her chest, but emotionally too. She struggles to let her partner see her undresses, admitting she's 'not very confident in the bedroom'.
Jasmin, who's mum to five-year-old Lottie Williams, has repeatedly spoken to her GP about the possibility of having surgery and was put forward to be considered for NHS funding in October 2021. But 4ft 11 Jasmin claims that despite posing for topless medical photos and putting her case forward to the board she's not heard back and assumes she's been unsuccessful.
Determined to tackle the issue herself, Jasmin, who is around the average height of a 12-year-old, is hoping to be able to get the operation done privately in the UK. NHS Devon said it 'does not routinely fund breast reduction surgery' and has to 'choose carefully' how they use their funds.
Jasmin, from Plymouth, Devon, said: "It affects my confidence and my relationship with my fiancé a lot. If I walk from the bedroom to the bathroom to get in the shower I will physically hold my boobs so he doesn't see them.
"He's so nice though he'll say 'don't worry' but I feel embarrassed - and that's with my partner of nearly 10 years. I'm not very confident in the bedroom in that sense. To me they wobble and flop around and that's not attractive in the slightest, regardless of what he says.
"I struggle to see how my boobs are attractive, let alone somebody else. The number of people, even my partner's friends, are like 'why don't you start an OnlyFans?' They keep going on about it and how I could raise the money that way.
"I'm thinking 'that's not me, I don't want to display myself. I'm trying to change my body for the better, I don't want to sexualise it and start making money from it'. They think men would go for boobs this size and I say to them 'they might look alright in a bra but out of a bra nipples are not supposed to face the floor'."
Jasmin, who lives with 51-year-old carpet fitter fiancé Paul Williams, says GPs she's spoken to said she would benefit from surgery - having suffered from breast-related issues since puberty. Not only did she have to deal with the embarrassment caused by the attention her chest garnered, but also the emotional hurt caused by bullies.
Jasmin said: "When I was 14 I was getting changed for PE one day and I had a top on underneath my school shirt and there were slits in it, which was very in fashion at the time. I just remember my friends turning around and being like 'oh my god look at your cleavage'.
"There were girls coming into the main changing room area to look at my boobs and they were teasing me, it was just horrible. I was a C cup, it was quite large for my age, and certainly compared to the other girls that I was going to school with. I was just so embarrassed."
"The comments were constant, 'oh look at her and her big boobs, she's a bitch'. A lot of it was probably jealousy from the girls, but at the time I didn't view it like that, I felt like I was targeted for it. I also got unwanted attention from boys."
As time went on Jasmin's chest continued to grow. At 18 she was an E cup, in her early 20s she was an F cup before ballooning to a K cup after having her daughter.
Jasmin said: "On average I'm about the height of a 12-year-old, but with the body of a woman. By the time I was 18 I was in an E cup and I was experiencing a lot of pain.
"At one point I could barely walk down the stairs because of the pain in my breast tissue and went to the doctor because of it. I didn't even wear a bra that day because it was just too painful. The doctor said 'they'll stop growing at some point, don't worry about it'.
Jasmin, then a size 12, said she got more and more self-conscious of her ever-expanding chest, especially as pals would joke about it.
Jasmin said: "Me having big boobs was always laughed at. My friend had quite a small chest and I had a huge chest compared to her. At that point I was a size 12, I wasn't really big I've just always had a very top-heavy frame.
"I absolutely hated going bra shopping, it was so frustrating and awkward. The comments really wore me down. Even now, I have one friend whose partner calls me 'Big Tits'. That's what I'm stored as in his phone. I've never said anything to him, I just laugh it off, but they're fully aware I want a breast reduction and that I struggle with my boobs. It's demeaning."
Jasmin, who also suffers from Raynaud's, says the blood circulation condition also means she suffers with increased pain during the winter months as it affects her nipples and breast tissue.
Jasmin said: "The weather's changing, it's just a matter of time before this syndrome comes back. It causes the tips of my nipples to go white and they're so painful, my breasts are also sore."
Jasmin, who admits to not being 'the skinniest of people' says that her super-sized chest means her frame is top heavy.
Jasmin said: "I'm a baker, I'm not the skinniest of people, but regardless of my weight my boobs have always been big. My sister says that if I was to have the breast reduction I'd probably be a couple of stone lighter, easily.
"People are shocked when they see them, and I say I've tried going through the NHS but I don't meet the panel's criteria. I had my photos taken, I gave my covering letter and I didn't hear anything back from the funding board.
"I know I'm overweight, I would like to get down to a size 16 before surgery. If I can reach that goal before surgery I'd be incredibly happy with my body. My body is not the issue, it's my breasts. It would be life-changing if I hit my fundraising target."
Lottie misses out on doing simple things because I don't feel confident enough to do it. "Just to run around with Lottie would be amazing - to go swimming and not be stared at would be amazing," she said.
A spokesperson for NHS Devon said: “We cannot comment on individual cases. Like all NHS organisations, we have to choose carefully how we use our funds and, unfortunately, we cannot fund all treatments in all circumstances.”
You can donate to Jasmin's page here.
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