September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month, and this one is especially personal to me.

Before I was the founder of Chemo Kits, I was a cancer patient.

I was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma and went through intensive chemotherapy and radiation. I know what it's like to sit in the treatment chair, wait for scan results, watch your life suddenly revolve around appointments, and wonder when you'll feel like yourself again.

That experience ultimately became part of the reason I created Chemo Kits.

So during Blood Cancer Awareness Month, I don't just want to talk about awareness.

I want to talk about showing up.

If someone you love has been diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, or another blood cancer, here are meaningful ways you can support them throughout treatment.

What Is Blood Cancer?

Blood cancers affect the production and function of blood cells. The three major types of blood cancer are leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, although there are many different diseases and subtypes within those categories.

Treatment is different for every patient and may include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapies, radiation therapy, stem cell transplantation, or other treatments depending on the diagnosis.

That's why one of the most important things to remember is:

No two cancer experiences are exactly alike.

1. Keep Checking In

Immediately after a cancer diagnosis, someone's phone may be overflowing with messages.

Then weeks pass.

People return to their routines.

But the person with cancer may still be going to appointments, receiving treatment, waiting for scans, and dealing with everything that comes with the diagnosis.

Don't disappear.

Send the text.

And take away the pressure to respond:

“Just thinking about you today. No need to text me back. ❤️”

Sometimes that's exactly what someone needs.

2. Send a Thoughtful Chemo Care Package

When someone you love is going through chemotherapy, you may want to send something but have absolutely no idea what they need.

That's exactly why Chemo Kits exists.

Our care packages were inspired by my own experience going through cancer treatment and are designed to combine comfort, encouragement, and practical items into one thoughtful gift.

💗 Shop Women's Chemo Kits:
https://chemo-kits.com/collections/womens-chemo-kits

💙 Shop Men's Chemo Kits:
https://chemo-kits.com/collections/mens-chemo-kits

🧸 Shop Kids Chemo Kits:
https://chemo-kits.com/collections/kids-chemo-kits

3. Help With the Ordinary Things

Cancer doesn't make everyday responsibilities disappear.

The dog still needs to be walked.

Groceries still need to be purchased.

Dinner still needs to happen.

Kids still need rides.

Laundry still piles up.

Instead of saying:

“Let me know if you need anything.”

Try something specific:

“I'm going grocery shopping this afternoon. Send me your list and I'll drop everything at your door.”

Or:

“I'm bringing you dinner Wednesday. What sounds good?”

Removing one small responsibility can mean more than you realize.

4. Help Make Treatment Days More Comfortable

Depending on the treatment, patients may spend significant time at an infusion center or hospital.

Comfort items can make those long days a little easier.

A treatment-day bag might include:

• A comfortable layer or blanket
• Phone charger
• Headphones
• Book or tablet
• Journal
• Water bottle
• Lip balm or personal comfort items
• Something entertaining

A tote can help keep everything together from appointment to appointment.

👜 Shop Chemo Totes & Accessories:
https://chemo-kits.com/collections/accessories

5. Understand That Hair Loss Is Personal

Some cancer treatments cause hair loss and others don't.

For patients who experience it, losing their hair can feel completely different from person to person.

Some people wear wigs.

Some love head wraps.

Some wear baseball caps.

Some proudly rock a bald head.

Let the person going through it decide what makes them feel most comfortable.

If they enjoy head coverings, a soft chemo head wrap can make a thoughtful gift.

🎀 Shop Chemo Head Wraps:
https://chemo-kits.com/collections/head-wraps

6. Don't Turn Into Their Doctor

Your friend or loved one already has an oncology team.

They probably don't need the cancer treatment someone mentioned on Facebook.

Be especially careful about recommending supplements, vitamins, restrictive diets, herbal products, or alternative treatments.

Cancer treatments can interact with medications and other products, so medical questions belong with the patient's oncology team.

You can be incredibly supportive without trying to solve their cancer.

7. Let Them Talk About Something Other Than Cancer

One thing I remember about cancer is how quickly it can become your entire identity.

People stop asking what's new.

Instead, they ask:

“How are you feeling?”

“What did the doctor say?”

“When is your next treatment?”

Those questions come from love.

But sometimes you desperately want to talk about literally anything else.

Send the gossip.

Talk about dating.

Watch the ridiculous reality show.

Tell them what happened at work.

Make them laugh.

Cancer may be something they're experiencing, but it isn't everything they are.

8. Remember the Caregiver

A blood cancer diagnosis often changes life for an entire family.

Partners, parents, siblings, adult children, and friends may suddenly become caregivers while continuing to manage their own jobs and responsibilities.

Check on them, too.

Send dinner.

Bring coffee.

Offer to sit with the patient so the caregiver can take a break.

Sometimes supporting the caregiver is another way of supporting the patient.

9. Celebrate Milestones Their Way

Finishing chemotherapy can be huge.

So can getting through the first treatment.

Or receiving encouraging scan results.

Or simply making it through a terrible week.

Some patients want to ring the bell, throw the party, and celebrate loudly.

Others don't.

Follow their lead.

Cancer milestones belong to the person experiencing them.

10. Remember That Support Doesn't End When Treatment Does

Finishing treatment doesn't necessarily mean everything immediately goes back to normal.

There may still be scans, appointments, recovery, fear of recurrence, and physical or emotional effects from what someone has been through.

Keep showing up after treatment.

Celebrate survivorship while also allowing space for everything that can come with it.

Why Blood Cancer Awareness Month Is Personal to Chemo Kits

I didn't choose the cancer community because it seemed like a good market.

Cancer chose me first.

My experience with Stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma changed my life and ultimately inspired me to create something I wished existed when I was going through treatment.

Chemo Kits is about more than what's inside a box.

It's about the message that arrives with it:

Someone is thinking about you.

Someone loves you.

Someone is in your corner.

And during Blood Cancer Awareness Month—and every month—that's a message worth sending.

Send Comfort to Someone Going Through Cancer Treatment

💗 Shop Women's Chemo Kits:
https://chemo-kits.com/collections/womens-chemo-kits

💙 Shop Men's Chemo Kits:
https://chemo-kits.com/collections/mens-chemo-kits

🧸 Shop Kids Chemo Kits:
https://chemo-kits.com/collections/kids-chemo-kits

🎀 Shop Chemo Head Wraps:
https://chemo-kits.com/collections/head-wraps

👜 Shop Totes & Cancer Awareness Accessories:
https://chemo-kits.com/collections/accessories

🏠 Shop All Chemo Kits:
https://chemo-kits.com/collections/all