Providing a 'Little Lift' to breast cancer patients: meet our charity partners
This year, Endomag have partnered with ‘Little Lifts’, an organisation set up to provide tailored care packages to patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer. We spoke with their founder to hear more about the great work the charity is doing.
A. After being diagnosed with breast cancer at 28, Oa Hackett from Norfolk in the UK, was faced with an overwhelming amount of information regarding her treatment options. However, with the support of family, friends and like-minded communities, she came to understand the impact that small acts of kindness can have during a diagnosis.
Inspired by this realisation, she launched Little Lifts, a UK based charity that provides packages of practical and mood-boosting gifts to those undergoing radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery for breast cancer.
We sat down with the inspirational Oa to find out more about the charity's story so far, how they differ from other charities in this space and the importance partnerships have in helping them to achieve their mission.
Q. What is the background to Little Lifts?
A. After receiving my primary breast cancer diagnosis I soon came to experience the whirlwind of appointments, treatments and side effects that comes with diagnosis. My treatment plan included chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy and it’s the chemotherapy part of my treatment that inspired Little Lifts.
During my treatment I felt isolated, alone and pretty terrified that I was going to have to get sick in order to get better. It was the amazing support and love that I received from my family and friends that really boosted my emotional wellbeing. Part of that was receiving beautiful care packages full of lots of practical items that helped me with the long list of side effects chemo can bring.
Essentially, it's the kindness from family and friends that inspires Little Lifts today. We now provide Little Lift Boxes to women and men who are going through chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery for primary or secondary breast cancer. So when they're in their treatment planning or review meetings they can feel cared for, supported, prepared and not alone.
For every box we sell, we're then able to gift another to a breast cancer patient, either via our hospital partnerships or the Little Kindness Fund.Oa Hackett
Q. Who is able to access support from Little Lifts?
A. We provide Little Lift Boxes to breast cancer patients in three ways:
- Directly through 10 NHS hospital partners in the East of England, given to patients during treatment planning meetings
- Through our Little Kindness Fund available to anyone in the UK undergoing breast cancer treatment for primary or secondary breast cancer can apply for a Box free of charge
- Individuals can go to our website and purchase a Box for a loved one going through treatment. For every Box we sell, we're then able to gift another to a breast cancer patient, either via our hospital partnerships or the Little Kindness Fund.
Q. What sets Little Lifts apart from other patient-focused organisations?
A. Little Lifts is pretty special because we have the most incredible community, and it is that community that has supported us from the beginning. With more people and businesses joining us along the way, believing in our vision, we can get more Boxes out to breast cancer patients.
Little Lifts work in collaboration with, and alongside other breast cancer charities. Together we believe we are really offering the best possible support to breast cancer patients.
You also understand the patients we’re working to help - they're not numbers, they are real human beings going through it and to be able to have those conversations directly is so impactful. Oa Hackett
Q. How important are partnerships, like with Endomag, in supporting your fundraising efforts?
A. Any successful partnership is based on the shared vision and belief in providing support to breast cancer patients.
At Endomag, you do important work to help people that are going through breast cancer surgery. So, I think that the opportunity to be able to partner with an organisation like yours to raise awareness is so valuable.
You also understand the patients we’re working to help - they're not numbers, they are real human beings going through it and to be able to have those conversations directly is so impactful.
Q. What does the future hold for Little Lifts?
A. We are a very small charity with just eight staff members, but we are on a mission to be able to offer Little Lifts Boxes to all the women and men diagnosed with breast cancer every year, free of charge.
We know that in the UK alone, 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK alone, so it’s about getting the care to those who need it.
By the end of this year we will have distributed 10,000 Boxes. Whilst we still have a way to go, the dream for the future is to see us grow year-on-year to a point where we can provide Little Lift boxes to every patient who needs them.
If you’d like to get involved and support Little Lifts, visit https://www.littlelifts.org.uk/