Dr Shara Cohen advises “the best gift you can give (to someone with cancer) is your time.”

After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, Cohen sold her company she started in 2000 and during the period of diagnosis used the proceeds to start up Cancer Care Parcel – aiming to provide appropriate gifts for people who have cancer.

“When you’re diagnosed you don’t really have time to think about yourself, there are all these things you need that you really don’t have time to get.

“All the people around you are also worrying and panicking about you. They can’t think straight either.”

Cancer Care Parcel provides an opportunity to be able to get a useful gift for someone with cancer in times of uncertainty of what to do or say. Parcels come attached with a small explanation of each item within it including a blanket to provide comfort and warmth throughout treatment.

Items are carefully selected and approved by experts teamed with cancer patients, survivors and partners who kindly donate to the parcels.

“A lot of people don’t know what to do or what to say – the parcel is the opportunity to get a gift and know that everything is ok.”

“We always tell everyone that the best gift you can give to someone with cancer is your time.”

“Ideally we want to be known, so that anybody with cancer will have access to our site and our gifts.”

Looking into the future goals of Cancer Care Parcels, Dr Shara Cohen, would like to expand the boxes to many areas such as; the parents or children of cancer patients as they can often be overlooked and therefore is something to look into for gifts in the future.

A radiotherapy box is a new package added to their website as this is also be an area overlooked as many people mainly assume chemotherapy is the main source of treatment.

“Radiotherapy is awful and exhausting without you knowing.

“You are left with these blisters, so we have found lots of creams and things to wash themselves and when they receive the box during radiotherapy they will know what each is for post treatment.”

Once the plans for the parcels have all been approved and in place, the company hope to extend their outreach and take more parcels into children’s hospices and do more work within the cancer community.

Although Cancer Care Parcels provide information, support and thoughtful gifts they are not a charity and therefore reliant on the sales of these comforting packages in order to extend their work into the cancer community.

Please show support and look at Cancer Care Parcel here and visit their Twitter and Facebook pages and spread the word!

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