Hospital

$5 in $1 bills for vending machines
$5 calling card
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Comb
Shampoo
Conditioner
Gum
Small chocolates
Socks
Crossword/puzzle book
Pad of paper
Pen/pencil
Personal size sanitizer
Note about why the kit is there

It was more than 1 ½ years ago, but feels like yesterday. The day Anthony was diagnosed with leukemia.

Because that is such a major diagnosis which needed immediate and intensive treatment, we were given 15 minutes to prepare to be sent to Seattle. Initially, we thought we’d be in Seattle for a few weeks…Anthony and I returned home 14 months later.

I called Andy on that day, and had him bring me clothes. He didn’t know what was going on. He packed me one outfit and an exercise outfit. I ended up wearing some of my mother-in-law’s clothes when she visited us in the Seattle hospital the following day.

My friend was given 15 minutes when her daughter was in critical condition and needed to be flown to Seattle. She lived a street or two away from the hospital, so they said she could pack, if she’d be back before those 15 minutes were up. She recalls standing in her home, hands shaking, and just grabbing anything she could think of in her shock-affected mind. She arrived in Seattle with 12 pairs of socks, two pants, 3 shirts, and one pair of panties.

She had to blow-dry her underwear because she hadn’t brought more.

Every month, many parents in the community are given 15 minutes (sometimes 30!) to pack and be ready for immediate transport. My goal is to make that 15 minute prep time a little better for other parents. I am making kits that will be given to families who need to be transported to a regional hospital in a hurry.

If you’d like to contribute anything on the list above, let me know. Please no cheap quality items. It is much easier and more comforting to have real things to use. Hospital toothbrushes are awful!

I am NOT affiliated with a non-profit organization so this would NOT be tax-deductible, but anything donated will definitely go into a kit.

My first goal is to create 20 gifts for our hospital to use.