I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2021 at the age of 42, and went into hospital for an autologous stem cell transplant in December 2021. I was in hospital over Christmas, during a rising Covid wave, and it was a pretty lonely experience.
Thanks to the generosity of my friends and family I had lovely gifts and goodies to treat myself with, and those little treats made all the difference.
I was already familiar with the Breast Cancer charity Little Lifts who provide boxes for people undergoing chemo, and I thought how wonderful something similar would be for someone facing a scary stay in hospital.
It took me nearly 3 years, but in November 2024 I self-funded 6 boxes full of helpful items and treats to the Norfolk and Norwich where I had my treatment, now I’m trying to raise funds to make sure everyone gets a box in future.
First Norfolk then the World! (Ok, the UK)
Our mission is to get a transplant box to every patient that goes into hospital for a stem cell transplant,
But we’ll start with one hospital.
At the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, they complete around 25-30 transplants a year, and in 2025 we aim to provide a box for everyone.
The boxes contain a selection of goodies that help with the side effects experienced from chemo and stem cell transplants, such as nausea, diarrhoea and reduced immunity. They also include some luxuries to aid with relaxation and relieve boredom when in isolation. Each box has an RRP of over £100.
We are raising money through crowd funding on Just Giving, or you can donate directly to help us fund more boxes.
