Amy Dillon started Amy's Totes of Hopes to help other cancer patients smile
ZANESVILLE — A smile and a message of hope has lead to a growing network of support for cancer patients across the country.
Amy's Totes of Hopes was born six years ago, after Amy Dillon was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. She was still coming out of sedation when she heard her doctor utter the phrase that changed her life: "You have cancer."
It was during treatment at Genesis Cancer Center that she smiled at a fellow cancer patient. The smile was not returned, and Dillon was afraid she had offended the patient. Later, nurses told her the patient said Dillon's smile was the first time she had felt hope.
The smile coincided with a dark time for Amy.
At first her care had been going smoothly. The chemotherapy had not made her sick, and it took longer to position her for radiation than it did to administer it. That changed when things took a turn for the worse; a temporary colostomy bag became permanent, and she entered a dark place.
"Once I got my diagnoses, I ran with it," she said. "It never occurred to me I could pass away from it, that I could have any complications."
She went through a period of anger, depression and anxiety. She had PTSD from the diagnosis. "I didn't understand why I was still here." He mother Gaynell, and her medical team supported her, but she struggled.
Amy had a conversation with her uncle Herb Perry, who is pastor at Putnam Presbyterian Church in Zanesville. He told her God has a purpose for her, and when she figured it out, she should run with it. Hearing how something as simple as a smile to a fellow cancer patient had given them hope, everything clicked, and Amy's Totes of Hope was born to provide comfort and hope to cancer patients.
The first totes went to the Genesis Cancer center in 2016. Packed into tote bags from Thirty-One in Westerville, the contents have grown over the years but the basics stay the same; water, lip balm, a few things to keep patients occupied, like adult coloring books and word searches. Soap, lotion, snacks, a toothbrush and toothpaste are also included.
Before long, word of the totes began to spread. Totes have been distributed across the country now, but most of them stay in Zanesville.
The organization has grown too, with a board and non-profit status. A long list of donors and supporters is tucked into each tote. "Even if they don't know anyone on the list, they know people are out there that support them."
More than 2,500 totes later, the mission remains the same. "My main thing is just to bring a smile to their face, and let people know they are not fighting alone. There are plenty of people out there praying for them, fighting for them."
For more information, email Amy at amydillon1977@hotmail.com or visit Amy's Totes of Hope on Facebook.
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This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Amy Dillon's Totes of Hopes help cancer patients
