In the backpacks of most elementary students: Pencils, crayons, notebooks and their favorite toys. Together, these things are the tools to tackle that big worksheet or answer the question of what game to play — two major concerns of young kids.
For some children, however, life is a little more complicated. Instead of playing tag after school on the playground, children with cancer are going to chemotherapy. And a typical backpack isn’t equipped with the necessary amenities for these kids.
That’s why Kylie Simonds did something about it. This 11-year old cancer survivor has created the first chemo backpack, capable of holding all chemotherapy medicine including an I-V bag.
Three years ago, Kylie was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer. Although she has been cancer free for two years, she hasn’t forgotten what it was like during her year of treatment.
“I used to have to use the I-V poles and I always tripped over all the wires,” she told WTNH. “It was hard to walk around, and I always had to have someone push it for me because I was kinda weak when I was in chemo.”
Kylie’s chemo backpack, which is lightweight and stylish, eliminates this problem. She unveiled her “Hello Kitty” backpack at the Connecticut Invention Convention and amazingly, was the only one to walk away with a patent.
For Kylie, the addition of this school bag would have made receiving treatment much easier. And although she no longer needs it, she hasn’t forgotten her friends who are still fighting.
“My friend Marik, he has a prosthetic leg and he has to, well he has crutches and he always has to have someone push it for him but if he had something like that he could just slip it on,” she told WTNH.
But now with her provisional patent, Kylie can raise the money needed to make this backpack a reality for these kids. (To find out how to donate, click here.)
While life with cancer will still be difficult, at least with this backpack, they can get back to what’s most important: Being kids.
MORE: A Jacket That Should Be in Every Cancer Patient’s Hospital Bag
Tag: Chemotherapy
Meet the Mom Who Convinced Mattel to Change Its Product Line
The “Ella” doll looks just like any other Barbie, except for one thing: She’s bald.
Nicknamed “Chemo Barbie,” the limited-edition doll was distributed in 2012 by toy company Mattel to select hospitals and charities in the U.S. and Canada to help comfort girls going through hair loss from chemotherapy.
As Women You Should Know reports, the doll certainly helped four-year-old Grace Bumstead’s come to terms with losing her golden head of curls as she battled a rare form of leukemia.
MORE: Playing with Purpose: Toys That Encourage Girl Power
Grace’s mother, Melissa, saw how much comfort the doll (which comes with wigs and headscarves) brought to her daughter. But she was disheartened to learn that Grace’s medical facility — the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles — only had six dolls and would not be receiving any more.
That’s why Melissa created a Change.org petition that urged the toy makers to make more Ella dolls to help kids like her daughter. After three months and more than 100,000 signatures, Mattel actually agreed.
The company said they will deliver a new batch of Ella dolls to hospitals, charities and foundations throughout the country starting in August. They also plan to make new ones annually.
As Melissa shared online, “This means that every year hospitals and foundations will receive a fresh supply of dolls, so there will be more Ellas for kids with cancer like Grace!”
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DON’T MISS: These Women Invented a Toy That Truly Includes Every Child
A Jacket That Should Be in Every Cancer Patient’s Hospital Bag
Simply put, being a cancer patient in the hospital stinks. Not only are you sick, but hospitals are cold, sterile places, and doctors and nurses are routinely jabbing sharp objects into your skin.
Pennsylvania-based cancer survivor Greg Hamilton knows exactly what it’s like to be in that position. As Yahoo! Finance reports, during his chemotherapy treatments, nurses would require him to partially disrobe in order to gain access the infusion sites on his chest and forearms — leaving him cold and uncomfortable.
“Not only was this humiliating,” he said, but “it also added to the pre-existing anxiety related to battling cancer.”
He and his wife, Ellen, searched for clothing that would be more comfortable for chemo, but found nothing.
MORE: This College Baseball Team Steps Up to the Plate For Their Cancer-Stricken Teammate
That’s when they decided to create their own jacket: The Chemo Cozy.
“Running, biking, hiking. Every activity has got clothing or apparel…just for that activity to make their experience better,” Greg says in the video below. “Why not people fighting for their lives? They should have something.”
What’s great about the jacket is that it looks like a completely normal piece of clothing — but it’s got so much more up its sleeve, including zippers that open up so medical personnel can access IV and PICC lines.
“We have something that works for people going through some of the worst times of their life,” Greg adds in the video. “And if we can do something just to make them feel a little bit better, and a little more special, and a little more normal then that’s our goal.”
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Looks like they’re much closer to making that goal a reality. Last October, the couple completed a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising nearly $10,000 more than their original $20,000 goal. They also recently stopped by CNBC’s Power Pitch to solicit interest their product. (Spoiler-alert: They successfully caught host Mandy Drury’s.)
The jackets, which cost $54 each, can be purchased at chemocozy.com and in select medical boutiques. To make the article of clothing even more affordable, the Hamiltons are going through the application process with Medicare and Medicaid to make it eligible for reimbursement as a non-medical device. They also plan to add more products to their brand, including clothing for children and for dialysis patients.
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From Alone With a Rare Disease to Building a Community of Support
Juvenile myositis is an incurable, life-threatening autoimmune disease that strikes children at a frighteningly young age. Infants’ and toddlers’ immune systems turn against them and attack almost all of the body’s systems, including the heart and lungs. It’s also incredibly rare, which means that living with JM can be incredibly isolating. When five-year-old Eldon asked why he was sick, he had no idea that his family was about to uncover an amazing source of hope. Fundraising turned into community building, and all of a sudden, Eldon and his family found themselves expanding what was a lonely world, getting in touch with families who would share their journey, and running an inspiring little hot chocolate stand.