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Kindness of stranger inspires hospital care bags

Alice CunninghamSuffolk
Rebecca Evans A photo of Rebecca Evans with her sister Jella. Rebecca has blonde hair cut in a bob style and she wears a yellow shirt with sunglasses on her head. Jella next to her wears a black T-shirt. She has a shaved head after cutting her hair prior to cancer treatment. Rebecca Evans
Rebecca Evans (right) had the care bag idea after Jella (left) was given a gift in hospital

A random act of kindness to a cancer patient has inspired a campaign to give hundreds of care bags to people in hospital.

Rebecca Evans's 57-year-old sister, who goes by Jella, was undergoing cancer treatment at Ipswich Hospital in Suffolk when a woman gifted her a "pocket hug" token.

Evans saw how much joy it brought Jella and, after asking for help from her thousands of Instagram followers, created 1,500 care bags in a matter of days.

"[Jella] just can't believe it and watching her give them out to people was just unbelievable," said Evans, who lives in Felixstowe.

Rebecca Evans A small wooden token being held between a person's finger and thumb. On it the words pocket hug as well as a small heart can be seen. Rebecca Evans
The token was given to Jella during a recent round of treatment

Jella was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, an aggressive type of cancer of the white blood cells, in December.

Evans, 47, said her sister's face went "from sad to smiling" when she was handed the wooden token by a stranger.

"Apparently the lady said to her 'just keep hold of this because times are tough'," Evans added.

"I thought 'I need to give pocket hugs out to everybody', and my brains just went into overdrive."

Rebecca Evans A selfie of Rebecca and Jella in a hospital room. They are both smiling. Jella wears a black and blue tank top.Rebecca Evans
Jella and Rebecca have started handing out the bags to staff and patients

Evans came up with the idea for "Jella's Journey" care bags and approached her Instagram followers for help.

She shared an Amazon wishlist of sweets, chocolate, skin care and other treats, and expected to get enough for about 50 bags.

"Saturday, my door went and it was the Amazon man [who said] 'thank God you are in'," said Evans.

"I asked why and he said he had 274 boxes in the van."

With another 200 turning up the next day, Evans had to call on a local haulage firm, which loaned her office space for storage.

Rebecca Evans Hundreds of care bags in different colours stacked on the floor of an office. Rebecca Evans
Evans expected to make up to 50 care bags but has made 30 times more

Evans said she had spent hours over the past week making up the bags, with the sisters already handing some of them out to staff and patients at Ipswich Hospital.

They also hope to take Jella's Journey bags to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, where Jella will soon have a bone marrow operation.

"I'm just blown away," said Evans.

"I've never been proud of myself before, but I am so proud of that one.

"I've been able to make my sister smile and my page has just done the most incredible act of kindness that is going to probably make 1,500 people smile."

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