The Treatment Bag - 'to help brighten the darkest of days.'

A helping hand like a kind gesture from a friend, a donation of a special product or a simply hug from a stranger can do wonders to boost morale during the hardship that comes with Cancer treatments. Lisa & Maymie helped set up charity The Treatment Bag – specifically for those going or gone through cancer treatment, gifting useful, comforting, luxurious, natural and organic products (no nasties in sight!) 'to help brighten the darkest of days.'
They rely on donations from brands and the work of volunteers to deliver the pretty bags to those in need. We caught up with them to find out more:

How and when did the idea come about to start the Treatment Bag scheme? 

The concept of The Treatment Bag was borne out of a visit by one of the trustees to hospital for their chemotherapy session. On this particular day, a Somerset cider farmer was also having his treatment. He arrived - still in wellies/covered in straw - with carrier bags full of apples, as gifts for all the other patients having their treatment, despite never having met any of them beforehand. It was a simple, thoughtful gesture, which raised everyone’s spirits and the whole atmosphere of the room. On her way back home, the trustee thought it was such a wonderful moment, that this could be replicated for other cancer patients.

What benefits do the products in the bags have for people going through cancer treatment? 

Each product in the bag has been chosen to counteract one of the side-effects of cancer treatment. We researched the issues with cancer treatments and collated a list of common problems, plus items which were a luxurious treat:

Sore mouths - pure and gentle mouthwash is a great help for this nasty side-effect

Dehydrated skin - lightly scented, organic moisturisers for body, face and hands

Cracked lips - soothing, natural lip balms

Taste buds changed/nothing taste good - Good quality, organic chocolate was universally the one treat which still tasted good

Too tired to cook - the Cook vouchers/discount cards allow access to quality ready meals

Tired all the time/lots of visitors - a lovely mug with organic, herbal tea

Can’t sleep (despite the above) - sleep spray

The chills/bad circulation - a cashmere beanie and scarf

What's the best feedback you've received so far?

We’ve had countless, fantastic feedback. There are lots on our Instagram account, but here are a couple of recent examples:

‘I just wanted to say what a totally amazing thing this is, so cleverly put together and a brilliant way to say how much you care about someone without having to get in the way.’

Marianne

‘I loved my bag. Thank you so much. I now want to help peters get the warm and fuzzy feeling I got following my first chemotherapy session. Much love,

Katherine’

How many people have been supported through your incredible work? 

We are a new charity, so the number of bags going out is increasing all the time. Last year we sent out approximately x400 bags - more than one each day. This is increasing by the minute!

What are your goals for The Treatment Bag in 2020? 

We would like to reach more patients - there are 360,000 patients being treated for cancer each year in the UK and we only come into contact with a very small number of them. Currently the bags are unisex, but ideally, we would like to have specific bags for men and women. Another area would be to create bags for children - this is obviously even more complicated, but it would be wonderful to

Top 3 tips for anyone going through treatment?

Put yourself first - you need and deserve to put your feet up and look after yourself

Find a community - online or face-to-face, much support can be found with groups of others going through similar experiences

Don’t be afraid to ask - people are keen to help and will bend over backwards to make your life easier

How can people help out or donate to the Treatment Bag? 

We are run entirely by volunteers - we have an amazing group of regular helpers, (accountants, pr, communicators) and groups of volunteers who come for wrapping days, where we put together x100 bags at a time. Donations are easily made via our website. Here you can also purchase a bag to be sent directly to a loved one.

www.treatmentbag.co.uk.

Inlight is delighted to be contributing to the bags with their 100% organic Calendula & Damask Rose balm – a multipurpose balm to soothe skin.

Physician and Inlight formulator Dr Spiezia says:

‘Cancer treatment can be aggressive both physically and psychologically as we all know.
Your body is fighting hard enough already to cope with the ‘outsider’ which your system doesn’t recognise. You don’t need more chemicals; your priority during this time is you and anything that can replenish, care, soothe skin and give a much-needed boost to body and mind. Choosing chemical-free and gentle, natural-organic products in and out, will ease the journey to recovery, making you look and feel better and help preserve energy.’

For a first hand experience, some great tips and advice, head over HERE to read Nicki's story

There are some wonderful brands which donate to the bag, if you are in need of gorgeous natural bath and hair product, do head over to Bramley to find out more!

'We blend our unique ingredients of apple seed oil and organic apple extract with 100% natural botanicals so that each product is the best it can be, smells wonderful, has genuine therapeutic benefits and delivers real results for your skin and hair.'