More than just a box
Receiving a cancer diagnosis is one of the most uprooting, disruptive experiences one can receive in your life. As was the case when I received my own diagnosis of Bowel Cancer in 2018 and a further diagnosis of Metastatic Bowel Cancer in 2023.
Surgeons, doctors, nurses and teams of medical specialists all play a roll in reassuring you along your journey, but nothing can prepare you for the fear and foreboding you feel before embarking on your first cycles of chemotherapy. Along with the former; friends and family play an important role in reassuring and preparing you as you step into the unknown, but the trepidation from the leaflets you will have read explaining all the side effects, still leave you with a lot of unknowns.
So when on that first day of treatment you receive your carefully curated ‘Box of Kindness’ from ChemoHero, one can’t help but feel special. There is a personalised note, making you feel that someone is in your corner and on opening the box, you are greeted with products that are largely ‘non-medical’ in nature, and rather targeted towards relieving the very side effects you read in a brochure or heard about from the medical team.
The box is so thoughtfully put together and it is hard to believe that it wasn’t put together just for you. More importantly, it is so very apparent, the love, care and attention to detail that went into choosing each of the many products.
Reading a bit more about the charity, you are left in awe of what Lisa accomplished in realising her dream and in some weird way, you feel part of a community. A community that has battled, or is battling the same awful disease you are and a far wider community of amazing people and volunteers that battle on your behalf to make life a little bit better and a little bit easier.
It is both touching and heartwarming and restores your faith in humanity.
For my part, it made and continues to make my journey with cancer that little bit easier and the side effects, that little more tolerable. Knowing I have people that have invested in me and provided products and treats makes it feel like I’m doing this cancer thing “First Class”. No “Economy Class” for us lucky North Devon recipients.