Cancer support charity founder receives award
FOUNDATION HANDS OUT GIFT PACKS IN HOSPITALS
THE co-founder of a charity that hands out support packages to adult cancer patients has been recognised at a national awards ceremony.
Lorraine Lewis, who founded the Lewis Foundation with her husband, Lee, bagged the Third Sector Champion prize at the National Business Women’s Awards.
The couple, from Northampton, founded the charity in 2016, when Lee’s mother, Janice, went into remission. She had been diagnosed with cancer after her 50th birthday in 2010.
Lorraine said: “It was completely out of the blue and really just hit us.”
Janice spent time between hospitals in Northampton and Leicester, including a significant period in Leicester Royal Infirmary.
Lorraine said: “By spending all that time in the hospital, visiting her and being with her, it opened our eyes to the situation and just how hard it was for older people undergoing treatment.
“People were facing things like isolation, boredom and loneliness.”
As Lorraine and Lee spent more time on cancer wards, they got to know other patients and families going through treatments and wanted to do something to help.
“We started off just going to the hospital shop and buying a few things like sweets and other bits to give out to people as we got to know them and it would just brighten up their day,” the 36-year-old said.
Seeing the big impact such a small gesture could make, the couple continued to spread joy on cancer wards in Leicester and Northampton.
After Janice had a successful bone marrow transplant in 2011, she went into remission.
Since its launch, the Lewis Foundation has grown and now works with 15 hospitals in the Midlands to hand-deliver thousands of support packages and gifts to adult cancer patients each month.
The packs can contain overnight essentials and toiletries, letter writing kits and miniature radios.
After her win at the National Business Women’s Award 2020/2021, Lorraine said: “We don’t do it for the recognition but it is so nice to see what we’re doing is having an impact and the exposure the charity gets will help with donations.”
Throughout the pandemic, the 50 or so volunteers that work with the charity were unable to enter the hospitals, so the gifts were handed out by hospital staff.
While unable to see the families they were helping in person, Lorraine said the charity received numerous messages of thanks.
One came from a member of hospital staff caring for a man who was left distraught while receiving treatment.
The message said: “It took away his sadness for a few moments knowing there are beautiful people such as you in this world, which made him smile.”
“It just shows that the little things can really make a big difference,” Lorraine said.