RBWH young cancer patients have been receiving these special welcome bags thanks to the Harcourts Foundation and RBWH Foundation.

A new initiative to ease anxiety and stress for the youngest cancer patients at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) has been funded through a Gift of Care and Support to the RBWH Foundation.

Thanks to the generosity of a Harcourts Foundation grant, RBWH Foundation has created new ‘You Can’ welcome bags for adolescent and young adult patients living with cancer.

“A cancer diagnosis can be unexpected and sudden, resulting in young people arriving at hospital with little time to prepare,” said RBWH Foundation CEO Simone Garske.

The new ‘You Can’ bags are packed with practical items, such as blanket, water bottle and toiletries kit, as well as a mindfulness colouring book and journal for patients to track their treatment and recovery journey.

The welcome bags are being distributed by RBWH Cancer Care Services through the Sony You Can Centre. The centre is the largest of its kind in Australia and was purposefully designed to support adolescents and young adults from across Queensland, aged 15 to 25, undergoing cancer treatment.

Support and social programs for patients and their carers are regularly held in the centre.

“The welcome bags are a reminder to our younger patients that there are always people around who care for them, and care about them,” said Ms Garske.

The RBWH Foundation is proud to engage with philanthropic organisations across Australia, such as Harcourts Foundation, actively seeking grant opportunities which advance life-saving research and patient care initiatives at RBWH and other prestigious research and health facilities in the Herston Health Precinct.

If you are interested in supporting exciting patient care initiatives, please contact the RBWH Foundation team by emailing info@rbwhfoundation.com.au.