KITS TO HEART

Sonia Su is well-acquainted with the impact of paying it forward. While undergoing treatment for a diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in her mid-20s in 2019, Su found a care package sitting on her hospital bed, left by a former patient. The gift included an encouraging note, snacks and other small goodies that not only brightened Su’s hospital stay but also became the inspiration behind her budding nonprofit, Kits to Heart.

“That gift really gave me the energy and motivation to keep going,” says Su. “As soon as I saw that package, I was like, ‘OK, I’m doing this.’ I just thought it was such a wonderful idea, and, especially from a stranger, so thoughtful to give this to patients.”

The three-time cancer warrior believes care packages fill a gap for warriors when it comes to psychosocial care. Family and friends may be well-intentioned but are experiencing their own grief and stress. Additionally, hospitals may not have the resources to offer adequate care to sufficiently meet all of your psychosocial needs.

“Simply, we need to care better,” Su says. “Cancer at any age is full of anxiety, uncertainty and distress, and research shows that this does have significant repercussions. This lack of psychosocial care, which is recognized as a human right, can be pretty detrimental to overall well-being.”

Su was in her final semester of graduate school at Georgetown University when she decided to turn the passion project of providing care kits to cancer warriors into more than a hobby. Taking advantage of Georgetown’s resources, Su enrolled in entrepreneur courses that culminated in a pitch competition, Bark Tank, in the spring of 2020. Kits to Heart was one of eight finalists and, based on the promising feedback she received from judges, Su decided the cause was one worth pursuing. She incorporated Kits to Heart and received nonprofit certification upon graduating.

Drawing from her own experiences with cancer, Su thoughtfully curates the items included in Kits to Heart’s packages. A handmade card is always present, and other goodies include protein snacks, ginger chews, lip balm, tea, hand sanitizer, face masks or resource pamphlets. Su also emphasizes wellness and sustainability when possible.

“I really want to promote this idea of well-being for not only our bodies but also for our environment,” Su says. “I do tons of research into the products that I would feel safe putting in my own body, but also [into] companies that care about sustainability. It’s really about making sure I provide safe items.”

In less than a year and throughout a pandemic, the volunteer-based organization has managed to provide more than 500 of these mindful care kits to cancer warriors in at least eight different hospitals across the Baltimore and Washington D.C. metro areas so far, with plans to eventually
expand. The response from recipients has been resounding.

“Feedback has been really heartwarming,” says Su. “I have received many messages from patients who say that the kit has brought them to tears, which really makes what we do that much more meaningful. I just recently received one response saying that [a recipient] was so touched that she wants to pay it forward, so she donated to sponsor a kit for someone else. It’d be great to continue having such a response.”

Kits to Heart distributes care packages on a request basis and are not for sale. If you’d like to request a kit or sponsor a kit for someone else, visit kitstoheart.org.