CENTRAL NEW YORK – Over the past 17 years, Maureen’s Hope Foundation has provided countless gift baskets for people battling cancer in the Syracuse area. Until recently, the deliveries have been limited to Central New York.
“I thought, ‘Why don’t we?’” said Susan Bertrand, who founded Maureen’s Hope in memory of her sister, Maureen Humphrey, who died of cervical cancer in 2003.
Bertrand recently introduced cancer care packages that can be shipped with a personalized note. Each package includes:
• “There’s No Place Like Hope: A Guide to Beating Cancer in Mind-sized Bites” by Vickie Girard
• “Coping Prayers for Cancer Warriors” compiled by Maureen’s Hope
• “Believe” stone
• Journal
• 30 inspirational “Be Strong” pop-up cards
• HOPE bracelet
“They’re meaningful, useful, and encouraging items,” Bertrand said.
The “Believe” stone and HOPE bracelet are tangible symbols that patients can use to ground themselves.
“The stones are so nice. You can carry them in a pocket or in a jacket or put them on a table next to you,” Bertrand said.
The HOPE bracelets are handmade by Baker High School students. Each bead represents a different attribute: courage, healing and love, for example.
“The white bead holds your wishes and dreams,” Bertrand said.
It can be difficult to find the right thing to say to someone who is battling cancer, so Bertrand’s care package includes plenty of words of wisdom, including pop-up inspirational cards and two books.
“I’ve read over 100 books on cancer. My favorite book was ‘There’s No Place Like Hope,’” she said. “You don’t have to read it from cover to cover. It touches on a lot of things — strength, hope, encouragement.”
Girard wrote the book in 2001, a decade after she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer and told she only had about a year to live. She defied the odds and became an activist advocating for new laws on bone marrow transplants and breast cancer. Girard passed away in 2007.
Bertrand collected prayers while Maureen was hospitalized at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The collection includes prayers for patients, caregivers and healthcare providers.
“I just held onto them all these years and always wanted to make them into a book,” she said.
The care package also contains a journal. Bertrand said patients can use it not only to jot down notes and questions for their doctors, but they can use it to work through the emotional roller coaster of treatment and recovery.
Finally, Bertrand includes stickers with her favorite inspirational quote from George C. Scott: “The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it.”
The cancer care packages are available for $50 at maureenshope.org; shipping is $10. Locals can also buy the packages at the Shoppes at Two Twisted Sisters, located at 25 Syracuse St. in the village of Baldwinsville.
In the time of coronavirus, Maureen’s Hope has had to cancel fundraising events, so the care packages have been a boon to the organization.
“How wonderful that you’re buying a gift for someone and the proceeds are going back to Maureen’s Hope,” Bertrand said.
While many events have been put on hold because of COVID, Bertrand is planning a special overnight spa retreat for mothers of pediatric cancer patients on March 27. Maureen’s Hope has a decade-long tradition of providing spa days to these “moms of cancer warriors” so they can connect with people who understand what they’re going through.
“They are in dire need of connection, especially during this COVID time,” Bertrand said. “[They’re going to] just spend time together being open, honest, vulnerable. That’s priceless.”
Bertrand and Dr. Kaushal Nanavati, assistant dean of wellness at Upstate Medical University and motivational speaker, will present at the retreat.
“We have so much to learn from each other,” Bertrand said.
To learn more about Maureen’s Hope and how to support their mission, visit maureenshope.org.