Uplifting Gifts and Actions: Thoughtful Ideas for Supporting Loved Ones Battling Cancer

Cancer patients have a lot of physical and emotional needs. Family and friends want to make the treatment period and recovery a little easier by finding something that brings comfort and peace to their loved ones who are beating cancer. Giving your loved one a gift can show them that they are loved and surrounded in this difficult time.

Gifts to Send a Child with Cancer

Having one’s child be diagnosed with cancer is a very scary time. Cancer diagnosis and the idea of starting chemotherapy or radiation therapy can be overwhelming. Of course, you may want to send a positive message to a sick child and his parents when the patient has to undergo painful treatments.

It is not easy to find something helpful to say during this difficult time, but here are some gifts to consider giving to a sick child. 

• Stuffed animals. Give the child or teenager a plush toy or stuffed animal to hold when needed. Use this opportunity to buy something that the child would love – whether a dinosaur, stuffed Spider-Man or Cinderella.
• Gift certificates for restaurants. Certainly, parents who have a sick kid don‘t have time to cook lots of meals. 
• Streaming video service. Check with the family to see whether or not they have a streaming video service. Consider purchasing one for all the members of the family to enjoy. 
• Pyjamas or robes. It is important to make sure the child is as comfortable as possible. Comfortable clothes to wear in bed are a very good choice to make it happen.
• Games and activities. Some good ideas are:
  • Books and magazines
  • Colouring books and crayons
  • Deck of cards
  • Note pad or journal. This can be helpful if your child wants to doodle or write down their feelings. It also helps you write questions for your child’s treatment team.
  • Puzzles
  • Word games

3 Things You Can Do for Someone That is Battling Cancer

One of the most important gifts you can give someone are gifts of comfort, gifts of time, and gifts of easing stress. Your time and attention, not a purchased item would always be the way to express how precious the person is to you. Here are 3 things you can do for someone going through a cancer journey:

1. Cooking. It may be the last thing on patient’s mind while they are going through treatment. They may feel tired and nauseous and not be up for it. Their family members may be too overwhelmed to provide a nourishing meal. In this bookshop, you can find some useful recipe books for cancer patients.
2. Cleaning the apartment. It might be hard even to rise from bed for someone having cancer. You can help them by making an apartment or house clean.
3. Regular visits. One of the most important gifts you can give someone is your time and attention. Conversations, games, and if they are up for it, some food and the healing power of laughter. Make your loved one feel special and cared for during this tough time in their life.

Gift Basket for Someone Starting Chemotherapy

A person undergoing chemotherapy faces a range of challenges, both physically and mentally. A thoughtfully curated chemotherapy care package may help individuals cope with unpleasant side effects, improve their sense of well-being, and help make them busy during long treatment. What to add to a thoughtful gift basket for someone going through chemotherapy? Here are some ideas:

1. Headwear for cancer patients. People going through treatment frequently lose their hair. Some of them choose to wear wigs, but others find it more comfortable to wear hats and scarves.
2. Ginger Root Tea Bags. For tea to reduce nausea. Ginger can be an effective treatment for nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy. These organic ginger tea bags are free from caffeine and additives.
3. Sugar-Free Sherbert Lemons. Hard candy, such as lemon drops or mints, may help remove the unpleasant metallic taste in the mouth from chemotherapy. However, it is important to note that sugar-free candy may cause gastrointestinal upset and diarrhoea for some people.
4. Soft clothing. A soft and cosy blanket, a pair of fleece pyjamas, slippers, or a robe feels like a luxurious treat during the winter months, and they’re especially useful for treatment rooms any time of the year since they’re often on the cooler side.
5. Pocket puzzle book.  Giving a person a puzzle or activity to pass the time while they receive treatment can be a welcome distraction from treatment.
6. Facial cleanser, facial moisturizer, or hand cream. The NCITrusted Source states chemotherapy treatment can cause the skin to become dry, itchy, or red. It may even cause the skin to darken in appearance or peel, while the nails may also become cracked and dark. 
7. Home-made food. Cooking may be the last thing on your loved one’s mind while they are going through treatment. They may feel tired and nauseous and not be up for it.

Chemotherapy can be a long and challenging process. Receiving gifts that bring comfort, ease side effects, and provide distractions from treatment, may help make the process a bit easier for patients going through a cancer journey.

What Should Not Be Put in a Care Package

Some things are prohibited or avoided during treatment because they may trigger negative reactions.

According to verywellhealth.com, when it comes to selecting gifts for cancer patients, there are some items that in most cases you should avoid, including:

• Gifts that focus on how cancer has changed a person’s body (e.g., hair products for someone experiencing hair loss from chemotherapy)
• Items with strong fragrances that can be overpowering or even trigger nausea (such as toiletries or candles)
• Flowers and balloons (floral arrangements and plants can carry fungal spores that are dangerous for patients with weakened immune systems, and balloons—particularly ones made of latex—can trigger allergic reactions. 

Unless you are aware of specific dietary restrictions (which are common for patients undergoing cancer treatment), refrain from sugar-containing products. One alternative might be to offer a gift certificate that would allow them to choose the most appropriate treat.

Gifts and services are showing care and help for your loved one who has cancer. Sometimes, all people need is someone who could just hear them out. A loving, empathetic listener can make all the difference. Understand that they may need some alone time for rest and healing. Honour their wishes, look for hints that it’s time to go, and don’t take it too personally.