Receiving Kindness: Katie Elson

We are incredibly fortunate to hear from our community who love sending and receiving our practical and comforting Big Hug Boxes.  Both acts have tremendous impacts on our community and the ability to create connection. Just before Christmas we received a beautiful email from Katie who shared her story with us of receiving a Big Hug Box. This box had been donated by a family in the same hospital as Katie who has received their own Big Hug Box as a random act of kindness:

"My Name is Katie, two days after my 27^th birthday in March 2022 I was diagnosed with Stage 3B Breast cancer. I had felt a lump in my left breast in December 2021 but thought nothing of it as I thought it was all in my head.

A few weeks on the lump grew to a point where I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I went to my regular GP who told me:

“You’re too young for breast cancer, and if you want testing you will have to pay for it as I think it’s unnecessary”. I never saw that doctor again.

In 2022 I underwent a double mastectomy with reconstruction, 18 rounds of Chemotherapy and 25 rounds of high dose Radiation therapy, 3 rounds of IVF which unfortunately did not work. I have since had roughly 3 breast reconstructions thanks to the side effects of Radiation and some medications. 

Earlier this year in April 2024 I was unlucky enough to be re-diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer as it had unfortunately return in my pelvis in two spots. Since learning of my Metastatic Diagnosis I have gone through a further 8 sessions of radiation and 6 rounds of Chemotherapy. Each round of treatment wears heavy on my physical and mental wellbeing.

I am lucky that I am surrounded by incredible health care professionals at The Bays hospital in Mornington. On my last round of chemo in November I was surprised with a Big Hug box.

I was very taken back that it had been donated to me by the Bates Family, I believe their mother had received a box and they wanted to pay that kindness forward.

I used almost everything in the box immediately, and was bought to tears by this family’s kindness.

I would like to thank them personally for making the end of my treatment less scary and helping me to recover."

Thank you so very much to Katie for sharing our story and also particularly our community who continue to donate Big Hug Boxes for us to share with our community. You can donate a Big Hug Box at www. thebighugbox.com