Sue Jaksa knows all too well the toll breast cancer can take on a woman. The chief operator of Plymouth’s lone medspa, Gr8Skin, has spent over a decade in the field of plastic surgery, working on many breast cancer patients and survivors along the way. And that’s just work. Cancer has infiltrated Jaksa’s family life, too, taking her mother’s life six years ago, and attacking her sister over the past three years.
“The disease takes a part of every woman, and they tend to feel less than whole,” says Jaksa, who decided to offer free facials to breast cancer patients and survivors at Gr8Skin. “If even for a short time I can make them forget and feel beautiful, then I have done my job.”
Gr8Skin also makes a conscious effort to sell products that give back to breast cancer research, such as Revitalash, Caren and Clarisonic.
When her mother passed away, Jaksa rededicated herself to helping others in need. She took a risk by quitting what she still considers an “amazing job” with a plastic surgeon and draining her savings to go back to school for medical aesthetics at age 37.
The risk paid off for Jaksa, who now honors her mother by helping others through her own business in her hometown of Plymouth. “It’s not always about the money,” Jaksa says. “People matter, and I love making people feel better about their skin. If you asked some of my clients, they will tell you this is a very personal business, and most give me a hug when they leave. I guess that’s how I measure success.”
