Cancer survivor creates chemotherapy care packages

It all started thanks to a friend's sister, who already had undergone extensive chemotherapy, who told Kunzelman what to bring to pass the hours. “Treatment days are long, boring and stressful,” said Kunzelman, an executive at Fat Wallet who needed the chemotherapy after an operation for uterine cancer in 2009. “By my second treatment, I realized how lucky I was to have had such good advice, and I was contacting a lawyer about setting up what became ChemoCargo.”
ChemoCargo’s mission is to provide first-time chemotherapy patients with a tote bag of personal care and comfort items to help ease the stress and anxiety of the treatments, allowing patients to make the most of their treatment.
"When you are overwhelmed by your diagnosis and what is happening to you physically, emotionally and financially, small things like what to take to the hospital with you for your comfort during treatment is the last thing on your mind. My thought was if we could fill tote bags with some comfort items, along with practical items that you might not necessarily think of offhand, it would be a welcome blessing to those stressed by the unknown of that first day", says Kunzelman.
In addition to items that will help pass the time, Kunzelman said, ChemoCargo will provide patients with such things as lotions to help with the dry skin often associated with treatments and information about such things as teeth cleanings, which need to be avoided during chemotherapy because they can release bacteria into the patient’s system.
The ChemoCargo operations are run on an entirely volunteer basis. Totes are distributed in the Northern Illinois region, through arrangements with SwedishAmerican Health System, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, and Rockford Health System.

More info: www.http://chemocargo.org

Adapted from: http://bit.ly/2hwO0UX