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STATE COLLEGE -- The Emily Whitehead Foundation recently donated 25 care packages to cancer patients at Mount Nittany Health, a hospital where the foundation’s namesake received treatment as a child.
The packages, known as “Believe Bundles,” contain practical and comfort items selected by the foundation’s patient community for individuals undergoing cancer treatment.
Emily Whitehead was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 5 and received some of her medical care at Mount Nittany Health. After conventional treatments were unsuccessful, she became the first child in the world to receive CAR T-cell therapy in 2012.
Her parents, Tom and Kari Whitehead, later established the Emily Whitehead Foundation to support patients and caregivers affected by cancer and rare diseases and advocate for access to advanced therapies.
“Returning to Mount Nittany Health to deliver Believe Bundles is deeply personal for Kari and me,” Tom Whitehead said. “Mount Nittany Health was a vital part of Emily’s care during her battle with cancer, so coming back here to support current patients feels like coming full circle.”
The foundation has distributed more than 1,400 Believe Bundles through partnerships with 40 hospitals nationwide.
The program is intended to provide comfort to patients and caregivers during treatment. Items are selected with input from the foundation’s patient community.
Kathleen Rhine, president and CEO of Mount Nittany Health, said the donation reflects the importance of addressing patients’ needs beyond medical treatment.
“At Mount Nittany Health, we know that compassionate cancer care extends well beyond medical treatments,” Rhine said.
Leslie Finton, an oncology navigator at Mount Nittany Health whose daughter survived childhood cancer, said gestures of support can make a difference for families undergoing treatment.
“Having walked that path with my own daughter, I know how much even the smallest gesture of comfort means when you are in the middle of treatment,” Finton said.
The donation is part of the foundation’s ongoing program to provide support to cancer patients and their families at participating hospitals.