11/20/08

Bags filled with hope for cancer patients

By Beckye Randall

No one understands the ravages of chemotherapy better than those who have been through it. The physical effects are debilitating, and the emotional burden of hearing a cancer diagnosis adds to the struggle.

Tracy Anderson of Marysville underwent chemotherapy for breast cancer in 2005. "It was a frightening and lonely time," she remembered. Now a cancer survivor, she is reaching out to patients to make the grueling treatment experience a little more comfortable.

"I've had a dream since I completed cancer treatment," she said. "I wanted to create a basket or bag full of hope and encouragement for patients who are just beginning their cancer treatment. These bags would be created by survivors and would contain notes of encouragement along with items that we found helpful during our treatment."

Anderson's dream is coming true. Heart Love Bags is a volunteer venture working in cooperation with the Providence Regional Cancer Care Partnership in Everett. On November 7 Anderson and a dozen volunteers celebrated the completion of 200 gift bags filled with items they used during their own treatment or that of a loved one.

Most of the bags' contents have been donated, thanks to Anderson's efforts. "I started 'Googling' the items that I wanted to include in the bags and sent out e-mails to the manufacturers, asking for the item to be donated. The response was overwhelming," she said.

The contents of the bag are functional, not glamorous. Mouth care products, calming teas, anti-nausea candies and anti-bacterial lotion are essential to patient care during chemotherapy or radiation treatments, Anderson explained. A journal is included to encourage personal reflections, along with a paperback book for those doctor visits and a knitted hat for newly-bald heads.

One of the more personal gifts is a custom CD, created by Anderson, that features inspirational photos and messages from survivors accompanied by a powerful soundtrack.

"These bags are gifts from other survivors," Anderson explained. She gestured around to the volunteers in the room, "Everyone in this room has been touched by cancer, and we want to give hope to others and make sure they know they're not alone."

Kathy Chapman was among those lovingly filling the gift bags during the recent work party. A Marysville resident, Chapman is the widow of a cancer victim. "My husband had cancer twice. He survived colon cancer seven years ago, but was taken by melanoma in August 2007."

The local woman started participating in a family team for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in Bellingham a few years ago. For the most recent Snohomish County Relay for Life, she served as a team captain.

Chapman found out about Heart Love Bags through her work as a PartyLite consultant. Anderson is planning a fundraiser for the nonprofit organization December 7 at Lake Stevens Books and has arranged for several vendors, including Chapman, to participate.

Other volunteers who came to the recent Heart Love Bags work party were Lorraine Anderson, Delores Hodge, Kathy Patrick, Anne Hartline, Carol Funkhouser, Karen Cordell, Katherine Hale, Jerri Wood, Amber Cook, Kelly Crawford, and Marilyn Robson.

Anderson, a software engineer for Nordstrom's, has built a cooperative network in her spare time since founding Heart Love Bags. Beginning December 1, the nurses at Providence's cancer center will inform Anderson and her team when patients are scheduled to start chemotherapy, and a Heart Love Bags volunteer will deliver the gift personally.

Anderson is working closely with the Cancer Resource Center at the hospital. Karen Cordell, chair of the volunteers, talked about the resource center's work.

"Our volunteers help patients find the information and materials they need to recover," said Cordell. "Whether it's a financial issue, a transportation problem, or if they need a wig to cover their hair loss, we'll help them."

Kathy Reff is the center's patient navigator and the only paid staffer at the Cancer Resource Center. "I'm the octopus head and they [the volunteers] are the arms," she said. "I don't know what we'd do without their consistent efforts."

The center's storage room is stocked with new wigs in all styles and colors, crocheted lap robes, pouch pocket vests for breast cancer patients and handmade personal-size pillows. All the materials are free, and most are donated by service groups, churches or individuals.

Anderson's Heart Love Bags can now be added to the cancer patient's arsenal of weapons against the insidious disease. Hope, with a personal touch, can be powerful medicine.

HOW TO HELP

Heart Love Bags will host a "Holiday Shopping with a Cause" fundraiser at Lake Stevens Books, 404-91st Ave. NE, Suite A, on December 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. Promising "one-stop holiday shopping," the event will feature products by PartyLite, Avon, At Home America, Cookie Lee Jewelry, Pampered Chef and other vendors. In addition, the book store will donate a portion of the day's sales to Heart Love Bags.

The organization is also seeking donations of cash and the following items:

• 50 or 100 pack of blank CDs
• CD Sleeves
• Small spiral notebooks
• Small blank journals
• Chamomile or ginger tea bags (individually wrapped and labeled)
• Chocolates (individually wrapped)
• Ginger candy (individually wrapped)
• Honeycomb embossed reusable bags
• Gently used paperback books
• Energy or cereal bars

blog comments powered by Disqus