Cancer Patient Starts a Movement to Spread Holiday Cheer, Hope

Kaiser Permanente member Miriam Estrada Silva was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2008 and continues to receive treatments at our South Sacramento Infusion Center. After finishing her first eight rounds of chemotherapy, she decided to celebrate by spreading cheer and hope to others undergoing cancer treatment.

During the holidays, many giving campaigns are geared toward children, families in need, and the homeless population, but Estrada Silva (pictured at right) saw this time as a special opportunity to create a program that would benefit chemo patients for years to come.

“I wanted to show my appreciation to the infusion center staff and Dr. Stephen Wang for doing so much to care for me,” she said.  “So, I asked a group of friends to help put together a Christmas stocking filled with items that a chemo patient could use during treatments.”

Since then, Stockings for Chemo Patients has expanded. The grassroots project to give patients going through chemo some comfort and let them know that they are being thought of during their treatment now involves partners like the Elk Grove and Sacramento Kiwanis clubs and Quota International of Oroville.  The original 15 women and their families also help in raising money and stuffing stockings.

“Our goal was to make 50 stockings the first year,” explained Estrada Silva.  “Now, we’ve collected over 800 stockings and gift these to patients in eight hospitals and a dialysis centers, including Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento.”

Each June, the partner organizations and volunteers activate the collection of items and monetary donations to fill stockings until early December.

“We are excited that such a wonderful program began here in the Infusion Center in South Sacramento,” said Cora Schumacher-Mukai, LCSW.

The items included in the stockings are not just random, but rather things that Silva Estrada observed she needed while undergoing chemo in the infusion center.

Items include soft hats for hair loss, comfy socks, adult coloring books and word puzzles, lip balm for dry lips, unscented lotion for dry skin, sour and peppermint candy for dry mouth and nausea, and antibacterial gel to stay germ-free.

Since the program has grown in popularity, the volunteers also receive requests from family members of cancer patients and stockings are mailed to different patients all over the country.

“This project is so very important because adult cancer patients go through many hardships, like missing work, and family stress with going through a cancer diagnosis,” said Estrada Silva.  “The stockings are a small gesture to let those going through treatments that we care, we’re cheering them on, and we are hoping for the best outcome.”