Need ideas for a family (mom has cancer)

[pigget74]

I knew you guys could help me think of some ideas. I have a friend and her next door neighbor is 35 years old with 2 kids 7 and 4 and was diagnosed with rapid growth breast cancer. She had her first chemo treatment Monday. All the boys now is that mom is sick and is having superman medicine put in her. Well earlier in the summer her husband and her planned a trip to Disney this September. They are going on Sept. 22nd. THey do not want to cancel the trip because the boys have never gone and they really do not know right now how things will end. SHe willhave chemo for 16 weeks before they will even do surgery. I would like to make the boys a gift bag. I already have a couple of pins, but I need some ideas of what else to put in the bags for the boys. I am going to talk with my own kids to see if they would like to donate any of there pins to help out. Please help me with coming up with some ideas for these boys Thanks for your help.

 

[bedgraynexl]

Some of the smaller plushes, like Mickey, Donald or even Stitch, also an autograph book and pen or marker would be another idea. Hope you friend gets a good prognosis.

 

[homemaker]

How difficult this must be on the family. I will keep them in my thoughts and prayers. Hope everything goes well.

Gift bag ideas: disney pez dispensers (got ours at Walmart), disposible cameras for their trip and disney dollars (if they are still taking their trip)

 

[PaulaSue]

No ideas for the boys but a few home cooked meals for the family/mom would be a nice idea, IMO. Especially around her treatment days.

 

[jchick]

Don't know if you scrapbook or she does, but could you get some friends to pitch in for a Disney scrapbook? You could do one where all she has to do is add the pictures and journaling when she gets back. It would be worth so much to her family.

Thoughts and prayers to her family, I know it will be the trip of a lifetime.

 

[FormrCastMbr]

I pray for your friend and her family...

Great ideas already posted...love the camera and scrapbook idea. How about books or games for the trip? How about a Mickey frame?

A meal for the family now is also thoughtful...

 

[pigget74]

Thanks for the ideas so far. I really like the scrapbook stuff. I forgot that I ordered several beach towels from Disneyshopping for the .99 price. I have them put up for last minute birthday items, but I am going to give each of the boys one. The family is being taken care of food wise. Thank you all for your prayers, we can never have enough of those.

 

[all4fun]

How about a few disney dollars? Don't know if you can afford that but thought I would throw it out there. They might like a little "souvineer money".


Just thought I would also add, my dear cousin's wife just went through this over the last year. She found out she had late onset breast cancer. It was very bad (very large mass). She went through the 16 weeks of chemo and then surgery. The chemo worked wonders and they think they got the rest of the cancer during surgery. I hope your friend's neighbor also has as good of an outcome as my cousin-in-law did. Good for them for taking their disney trip anyway. I really hope that they have a great family trip and it is really special for them. Hopefully it will work wonders for their morale.

Of course, I have also spoken prayers. You're so right...definitely can't get enough of those!

 

[Tiggerish]

Glow sticks, necklaces or braclets from the dollar store. Dollar Tree usually has a variety and boys (actually all kids including teens) love them.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

I have bought many of the items above for my boys for our trip to DL this month. Additional items I've made/purchased:

Matching Disney t-shirts in bright colors (hopefully will make it easier to keep an eye on them!)

Light spinners: I guess these are all the rage at parade time? Got them on clearance at the Disney Store. Will probably need to put some new batteries in them though.

Kool-Aid individual packets: To flavor the water bottles if they get tired of water.

Sticker book, coloring book & crayons, writing tablet & pen/pencil

Disney.com: Print out pictures to color, booklets with their own names & info in the story, cards, calendar pages, etc. Could print a calendar page for their Countdown To Disney!

Mini Etch-A-Sketch, MagnaDoodle, colored pipecleaners, Wikki-Stix: To keep them entertained on the car trip/flight.

 

[isla bonita]

We always take a water camera for the pool my kids are big water lovers.

Maybe some shiney pennies and quarters for the penny press machine.

A Disney map or pamphlets to see what is there and the planning video. all free

 

[isla bonita]

How about making a chain calendar so they can take a link off a day. YOu could have your kids do something like this for their friends.

 

[Schmeck]

Has she cleared it with her doctor that it is safe for her to go? If her trip is this month, she'll be in the middle of chemo - her immune system will be weak, and everything she touches at WDW will put her at a greater risk for infection.

If they do go - she should rent an ECV to conserve her strength, and they might want to get a GAC (guest assistance card) so that she can stay out of the sun in lines, etc. Check out the FAQs over on the disABILITIES board for more info!

For the girfts - how about some sunscreen spray, bug repellant wipes, sunglasses... I know it's not the most exciting stuff, but it will be needed, and if the kids can put it on themselves, it will be one less thing the parents have to worry about...