Feb 5, 2008 1:18 pm US/Eastern
Free Breast Implants
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
It's a cosmetic procedure that is more popular than ever. The number of women going under the knife for breast enhancement is up 40-percent from just five years ago. And getting those implants is not cheap.
Valerie Levesque has details how some women are finding 'Bosom Buddies' who are willing to fund this popular surgery.
The voluptuous bodies of runway models and cover girls are the envy of many women.
For Lynn Bobitz, an enhanced bust-line was something she always wanted.
"It was just something I always had in the back of my mind, but just pushed aside because you know moms don't do things like that," she said.
Even so the wife and mother of four boys wanted to look like those models. But getting breast implants would cost thousands of dollars.
"I thought how am I ever going to afford that with a family," said Lynn.
But then she stumbled on a website called "My Free Implants."
On the site, a woman creates a profile and posts the amount of money she needs for surgery.
Donors, called benefactors, sign up and send e-mails to the women. Each e-mail costs $1.20 and one dollar of that goes to the woman's account. After that special donations in any amount can be sent.
Lynn's largest gift was $500. After eight months, Lynn raised $5,765. It was enough for her to get her implants. After the surgery Lynn posted her before and after pictures to thank those who sent money.
Stacy has been on the site for one month. The Trenton mother of two children has already received $2,000.
"I love my benefactors, I see them as family, they are nothing but gentlemen to me," said Stacy.
But at the same time she said, "I don't know what would make men donate money for other women's plastic surgery."
But she's glad they are donating money.
That's not how Tammy Gavitt of Philadelphia's National Organization For Women feels.
"It's a subtle form of prostitution if you look at this web site I mean basically again the more clothes they take off the more online chatting they do the more funds," she said.
But Jay Moore sees nothing wrong with this. He is a co-founder of the web site.
"Women are marketing themselves by yes using their bodies and it happens in every industry throughout the country," said Moore.
He said there is no pornography on the site. "Nudity is not allowed in like a public profile, you can send that type of stuff privately", said Moore
Lynn and Stacy said they would never post nude photos.
The web site holds the donations in a special account.
After collecting enough money for the surgery, the money goes directly to the surgeon who must be board certified.
So far, 85 women have reached their goals. And with more than 2,000 active members on the site, the number of women getting the body of their dreams is likely to rise.
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