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NEWS
metronews.ca Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Website helps women get free breast implants Crowdfunding. Site allows male ‘benefactors’ to donate after viewing women’s online profiles
Cashing in on community
“You raise money by chatting. Every message that a guy sends you is a paid message — you make a dollar. You can talk to the donors and ask for donations. If they like you, they’ll donate money.” Holly Mendez, myfreeimplants member
cynthia bigrigg
For Metro in Toronto
Holly Mendez, 28, is hoping to raise $10,000 for breast augmentation surgery. contributed
Small-breasted women who are unhappy with their cup size, take note: With a few clicks of a mouse and some “friendly” conversation, women everywhere can receive a breast augmentation at the hands of a board-certified surgeon — for free. At least, that’s what website myfreeimplants.com promises its members. This is how it works: Women create a profile with photos detailing why they want a breast augmentation and why they can’t afford it. They then market their pro-
files to potential donors to raise funds for the procedure. Men, called “benefactors,” also sign up free, but they have to purchase credits, which can be used to send women of their choice messages. The women accumulate cash in their accounts for every message received. Surgeons are paid directly by the site for the procedures. The site, founded in Los Angeles by Jay Moore and Jason Grunstra, was originally created to raise money so that their friend could have an augmentation. “It was a very simple social
network,” said Moore. “She was able to raise the funds herself in about four months. With that kind of concept, we developed the full version of the site.” The site focuses on a sense of community. Moore believes that more donors are attracted to the idea of an online friendship, rather than provocative content. “Donors are looking to actually make a connection on a different level. Those donors are more likely to give larger amounts.” Holly Mendez, a 28-year-old customer service representa-
tive from Toronto, has been a member of myfreeimplants for three weeks. “I’ve had small breasts all my life,” said Mendez. “I had a baby four years ago, and breastfeeding made the situation worse. I feel like if I got (an augmentation), I would feel more confident. It would just make me happy. I’m doing it for me.” Mendez believes that personal connection plays a large role in the fundraising process, and even feels that she has made a few friends in the myfreeimplants community. “You can talk about anything. You can talk about the weather, you can talk about cars, you can talk about their job. I just talk about whatever they want to talk about.” said Mendez. So far, Mendez has raised around $400 toward her goal of $10,000. She hopes to have the full amount within a year, but says she is enjoying her experience along the way.