The Boost Box Company knows just what to gift a patient

When we were contacted by Nadia, founder of The Boost Box Company, it was at a time when I had a friend who had just been diagnosed with cancer and I was going to visit her the next day and had no idea what to take her. It is a terrible sign of our times that these moments occur all too frequently and consequently it has become a steep learning curve for most of us, to find the right words and the right gifts.

The Boost Box Company was the inspiration of a family who faced just such a crisis with their 15 year old daughter, Bibi. Nadia said that, “In the space of three days, she went from being a school girl with a cough to a cancer patient recovering from surgery.” As a parent I cannot imagine how one would cope with such a situation however cope is all that Nadia and Ben could do. They decided they must do something positive for Bibi and whilst the doctor’s tackled her physical health, they went to work on keeping Bibi’s spirits lifted and to focus on her life as a 15 year old girl rather than her life as a cancer patient. These words inspired me as I set off to see my friend as she was still my friend, a mother, a wife and a daughter so this is what I wanted to focus on.

For Nadia and Ben they saw the dilemma that so many of us face and so out of their pain The Boost Box Company was born. They set to finding products that could help alleviate the monotony of hospital days, to give pleasure and comfort.

“Boost boxes are based on simple routines we established to help keep our spirits up and make each day the best it could be. We found that having a focus helped temper our anxiety and allowed us a modicum of control over our days, so morning routines gave us a sense of purpose and bedtime routines eased the sorrow of being away from home. Manicures and pedicures became a positive distraction, whilst drawing and colouring proved to be highly effective at shifting our focus when we felt stuck. When it all got a bit too much, and a greater emotional escape was needed, cosy socks, scented roller balls and an episode of Modern Family usually helped to comfort and cheer us up.”

“We also became increasingly mindful that Bibi was being pumped full of drugs, so set about finding great products she could use that wouldn’t add more toxicity to her already overloaded body but would ease some of the symptoms she was experiencing. As a result, all our Boost Boxes have been carefully put together with only natural and therapeutic products, free from sulphates, parabens and preservatives so as not to exacerbate any existing conditions or symptoms.”

The good news is that Bibi is now 18 years old and has been in remission for 3 years but remains the inspiration and motivation behind The Boost Box Company.

Nadia has taken this original idea and created boxes of gifts for others facing such an ordeal, and a service for those of us who are doing the gifting. There is a choice of 16 boxes and I think they have covered every eventuality. The range has extended to not only cater for those suffering from chemotherapy as you can now find a box for anyone who is ill or recovering from an operation. There are boxes for both Him and Her. Many include soothing tea, some chocolate, maybe some nail varnish, a beanie, or toothpaste combining two mints – peppermint and spearmint. There is an Activity box with playing cards, a Sudoku book and a colouring book and pencils. Others include an aromatherapy roller ball and a stress spot massager.

So find out what your friend or family member would find most soothing and order online sending the box direct to the patient or to you so you can hand deliver it when you visit. It will certainly help the visit as your friend will see how much thought you have put into finding something that is different and more personal than flowers. Each box comes with a card that you can get personalised with your message.

I see that this is a website that, sadly, I will have to bookmark as I will be turning to them more times than I would wish however, at least I now know that to receive one of these boxes will bring much comfort to the recipient.

Each month The Boost Box Company will be donating one Boost Box to ‘Something To Look Forward To’ a charity organisation set up to enable people and their families affected by cancer to access a variety of gifts, ranging from theatre tickets and hotel stays to meals out and beauty treatments.