To mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we are piloting this lovely new service for breast cancer patients at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital where Oa, our Founder, was treated.

Our Surgery Box will initially be gifted to 600 patients, and like our other Boxes it includes a range of items specifically chosen to support the treatment it is for. This Box is for people with breast cancer who are about to undergo lumpectomy and mastectomy surgery at the hospital. Figures from Cancer Research show that 81% of people diagnosed with breast cancer have surgery to remove the tumour.

This new Box will be available from the 25th of October and is being piloted in response to feedback from our beneficiaries and hospital partners.
Our wonderful Founder Oa said: “During consultations with our beneficiaries and hospital partners, it became evident there are some patients who don’t require chemotherapy or radiotherapy, but instead receive surgery alone as part of their treatment programme – these patients have been missing the support of a Little Lifts Box.

Surgery for a lumpectomy or a mastectomy can sometimes be the first aspect of treatment for many, and it can be a very overwhelming and worrying time. It’s our mission to support every patient at every step of their active treatment, and this new service ensures every single breast cancer patient receiving treatment is being supported”.

Initially the Surgery Box will be given to patients during their surgery planning meeting by breast care nurses at the NNUH.

Prof Nancy Fontaine, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Chief Nurse, said: “We are delighted that Little Lifts is expanding its support for breast cancer patients who are undergoing lumpectomy and mastectomy surgery. The Boxes provide fantastic additional support and are perfectly suited for patients who are admitted to our hospital for surgery. We are very grateful to the charity for their invaluable support in helping people with the physical side effects of treatment and with emotional support”.

Subject to funding, we hope to roll out our Surgery Box to all breast cancer patients across all our hospital partnerships by 2025. Additionally, we hope to be able to offer our Surgery Boxes to all breast cancer patients across the UK through our Little Kindness Fund in the future.

Our Little Kindness Fund was set up in response to the pandemic, to ensure that anyone receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment for primary or secondary breast cancer in the UK, can apply for a Box, free of charge, through our website. Since June 2022 we have seen applications rise by 1150%, receiving over 100 applications per week. It would be wonderful to be able to offer this new Surgery Box UK wide to help with our mission of supporting every person diagnosed with breast cancer.