Banding Together with Headbands for Hope

For the entire month of January, Chemo Duck will receive a portion of the proceeds from sales from The Hope Market – an online shopping site featuring accessories like necklaces, headbands, hair ties and shirts. 

The market is a part of Headbands of Hope, founded by Jessica Ekstrom in 2012.

It was during a college internship that Ekstrom noticed a need for providing headbands to children undergoing cancer treatments.

“I had noticed that girls who lost their hair to chemotherapy loved to wear headbands,” said Ekstrom. “Since that was a need that hadn’t been fulfilled yet, I wanted to create a solution.”

For every item purchased from Headbands of Hope, a headband is donated to a child with cancer and $1 is donated to a childhood cancer organization of the customer’s choice.

As word of the company spread, so did Ekstrom’s interest in helping pediatric cancer patients on a larger scale.

“Going to hospitals to donate headbands has given us a lot of insight to the needs of the facilities and the families of kids with cancer,” she said. “The Hope Market is our way to fulfill those various needs. 

“We want to assist any organization that we feel is either working towards a cure or helping enhance the lives of kids while going through treatment.”

Chemo Duck was an easy fit for the company’s charitable giving focus, she said.

“We immediately fell in love with Chemo Duck because it serves as a point of education for the child, but it also makes the experience lighter and easier with a cute stuffed animal,” said Ekstrom. “We see first-hand how scary it can be for a child to go into a hospital. Even scarier is the fear of treatment and what it’s like.”

Headbands of Hope is not just for girls. A boys line of buffs has been a huge hit, she said adding that the newest accessory allowed the company to cater to all childhood cancer patients.

“In June we celebrated donating head accessories to every single hospital in the U.S. We have also made donations to Canada, Spain, Mexico and Peru.”

For more information about how you can help support pediatric cancer patients and Chemo Duck in January to go www.headbandsofhope.com

Kolton’s Story – A Boy and His Duck

There is nothing like a boy and his duck. Just check in with five-year-old Kolton Platt.

Kolton and his Chemo Duck are inseparable, said his mom Amber Sanders Platt.

“When we went to have his port put in, a child life advocate came in before he left for surgery,” said Amber. “She showed him the Chemo Duck before he left for the procedure and told him it would be waiting for him when he woke up.

“Sure enough, when he got back to his room it was the first thing he asked for!”

Kolton, diagnosed on Dec. 8, 2015 recently completed his first round of chemotherapy for T-cell all at Rocky Mountain Children’s Hospital in Denver. Chemo Duck has been a great help since his cancer journey began.

Kolton named his new friend Jumpy and doesn’t go far without him.

“He tells me that Jumpy is his best friend and that he tells his friend all of his problems,” said Amber. “He sleeps with Jumpy, who protects his water bottle at bed time. And he always makes sure we have him packed when we are leaving the house.”

“It’s just so sweet to see him interact with his Chemo Duck,” said Amber. “He has something that is like him. He really relates to him.”