Chemotherapy Care Kits for each new cancer patient attending Honiton Hospital

Honiton woman, Doreen Hooper, set up the Chemotherapy Care Kits initiative after being diagnosed with cancer back in January of this year.

Since then the project has gone from strength to strength, with the idea being picked up by other hospitals in the region and further afield.

Honiton Nub News caught up with Doreen Hooper, she said: "At the time of diagnosis a group of friends made a chemotherapy care kit for me. It was a thoughtful gift consisting of practical and comforting items. As time passed and treatment was underway, I realised just how useful it was.

"Combining wanting to 'give something back' and the need for something to do during the long weeks at home, I decided to try making some kits for patients in the unit where I received my treatment.

"I asked family, friends, colleagues and local businesses to help by donating items and to cut a long story short, the initiative took off from there.

"Within a relatively short space of time, a total of 80 kits left my spare bedroom and were distributed to patients starting chemo in three different hospitals."

The kits have been so well received that the initiative is now continuing with the support and backing of a local cancer charity and hospitals.

Thanks to more generous donations the Chemotherapy Care Kit scheme is currently able to provide each new patient attending Honiton Hospital for treatment with a gift bag containing the following items:

• Notebook/journal (preferably A5)
• Pen
• Puzzle book
• Soft fluffy socks - ladies/thick warm socks - mens
• Paperback book
• Hand cream
• Lip-balm/ small tins of Vaseline
• Antibacterial hand gel
• Small packet of tissues
• Ginger biscuits
• Bags of fruit sweets/mints
• Drinks bottle

One patient in receipt of a care kit expressed their gratitude: "It was an amazing gift to receive. My nurse presented and explained it to me as she was loading up the first chemo drug and it totally distracted me. Such a thoughtful, useful set of gifts."

"We'd be very grateful for more donations of the above items in order for us to continue providing this valuable gift. Can you add just one or two items to your shopping every so often to help someone else?" Mrs Hooper added.

A Dimond & Co in Honiton and The Curious Otter Bookshop in Ottery St Mary have agreed to be drop-off points, so anyone who wishes to donate can drop it off at these locations.

Chemotherapy Care Kits recently set up its own Facebook page, accessible via the red button below.

"The page has been set up in the hope that this initiative will spread far and wide," Doreen explained.