Care Packs 4 Kids

Nothing will prepare you for having to tell your children that you have cancer, but when kids are given a Care Pack 4 Kids it can help with a positive distraction while visiting their loved ones in the hospital.

In early July, Viccy Renleigh, a beloved mother of two daughters, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML). Residing in Charters Towers, Viccy was transported to Townsville University Hospital to begin her cancer treatment.

“It may not seem like a lot but when you are forced into a situation an hour and a half from home, being able to give my girls a book to read and some colouring-in pencils, it really means a lot to me,” said Viccy.

With family living abroad, it’s been extremely difficult to balance a life-altering diagnosis and caring for two young girls. 

“Because it was during COVID19, my sister travelled for 57 hours and all up 17 days to be my side and help with my girls.

“Care Pack 4 Kids has been an amazing help for the girls to keep them busy during their visits to the hospital.

“My life of course could be better, I have cancer, but the amount of support from the Townsville Hospital and Health staff, the visits from Brighter Lives and the kids being able to go to school in the hospital, the experience has just been amazing,” said Viccy.

Brighter Lives CEO Tanya Busoli said these packs inspire a community to get involved.

“These care packs prove that it only take one person’s idea to help others to empower the whole community to get involved,’ said Tanya.

Townsville Family Life founder and creator of Care Packs 4 Kids, Amanda Bell, said choosing Brighter Lives as the local charity was an easy decision.

“Being a local mum with a local parent resource, it made perfect sense that if I was going to create or choose one charity to support.  The charity had to be a local, where every dollar that was raised and or every item that was dispersed was going to give back and be beneficial for locals,” said Amanda.

We are currently in desperate need of stock, if you'd like to contribute items for care packs, donations of NEW small toys that will fit inside a ziplock bag (think trolls or hot wheels size), pencils, crayons, colouring or reading books will be gratefully accepted at the following donation stations:

• Brighter Lives Townsville Hospital FoundationInformation Desk (located at the entry to Townsville University Hospital)
• GymbaROO Townsville– during trading hours
• Townsville Grammar North Shore Campus– during school term

 Brighter Lives is 100% local and is the official charity of the Townsville Hospital and Health Service. Here for you, Here for NQ. brighterlives.org.au