new diagnosis/extended stay C.A.R.E. Packages

Items and Information to help with the first few days of hospitalization

Colleges and camps often send parents a list of personal care and comfort items to pack to help make a child's stay more comfortable. However, no one can prepare for cancer or a blood disease -- and when you have these diseases, hospital admissions are often crisis-related.

In February 17, 2010, Dragonfly Co-Founder Christine Neitzke and her 10-year-old son Matt went to Cincinnati Children's for a quick x-ray. Two hours later, her son was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin's Lymphoma and was wheeled into Oncology for a three month stay. Christine was totally unprepared -- she didn't even have coins for the vending machine in her pocket.

"Mind numbing," "life-altering," "emotionally shattering" are some of the words parents use to describe the diagnosis/new admission of a child or young adult who has cancer or a blood disease.

If you/your child had an unexpected illness, would you be prepared? Would you want to leave his/her side to to go home to get something you needed?

With input from our Dragonflies and Cincinnati Children's Hospital staff, we created a C.A.R.E. Package Program to help patients and caregivers get through the first few hazy days of hospitalization.

Each C.A.R.E. Package includes such items as:New Admission/Extended Stay C.A.R.E. Packages

  • Stationary and office supplies (pens, file folders, tape, dry erase message board, etc.)
  • Personal care items (eg., toothbrushes, toothpaste, brush/comb, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, etc.)
  • Laundry bag, detergent and fabric softener
  • SOFT tissue and toilet paper (Thank you, Procter & Gamble!)
  • Night light
  • $25 dollar gift card for room meals.

FOR INFECTION CONTROL, ALL ITEMS ARE NEW, UNSCENTED AND IN THEIR ORIGINAL PACKAGING.

TO SEE THE COMPLETE LIST OF ITEMS INCLUDED IN THE C.A.R.E. PACKAGES, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

*Our C.A.R.E. Packages are given to caregivers of newly diagnosed patients and to caregivers of patients who will be in the hospital for longer than 48 hours.