The gifts were placed in festive holiday bags and boxes. They included unscented soaps, notepads, hats, gloves, sugar-free candies and cookies, lotions, puzzles, pens, socks and hand sanitizers.
“I’m overwhelmed that high school students chose such a wonderful project and that they formed such a club,” said Dianne Toscano, Putnam Hospital Center oncology nurse navigator.
“It’s a great way for patients to know that they are not alone and to have some comforts of things they wouldn’t think to bring with them during treatment.”
The Cancer Awareness Club was formed in 2013 after two students whose family members had the disease expressed an interest in getting one started.
The club, whose mission is to raise awareness and offer community support, has about 70 members and meets once a week. This was its first hospital project. Club members collected donations and solicited items from teachers and schoolmates.
“The kids were over-the-moon excited to do something for the cancer center in our community,” said Heather Murphy, a Carmel High School English teacher who heads the club.
“I was very excited for the opportunity to provide cancer patients at Putnam Hospital Center with items they could use during or after treatments. Seeing the club members and Carmel High School staff supply such generous donations was truly overwhelming. I couldn’t have been happier with the way everything turned out, and I really look forward to doing this again next year.”
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