Despite a difficult surgery and subsequent treatment, Kate Greco still finds the time and energy to give back to patients who are experiencing their own cancer journey.
8-hour bladder transplant surgery. Transitional cell carcinoma. Chemotherapy. Any one of these alone could make an average person sit back and let others take over for awhile, but Kate is far from the average person. After going through this ordeal, she knew full well what it took to make the days a bit more bearable. And she committed herself to providing that level of comfort for others.
Kate and her sister-in-law, Allie Ambrose, began creating “Chemo Bags.” They’re filled with items that she greatly appreciated during her chemotherapy treatments. These include fuzzy socks, a fleece blanket, a water bottle, lip balm, crossword puzzle book and hard candy. Plus, they always arrive with a handwritten note, offering true words of encouragement from someone who’s been there. This unique program is now in its third year and in 2016 donated 80 bags to men, women and children in need.
Along with this kindness, Kate also gives back by volunteering as a patient escort at Mass General once a week. She simply wants to offer that extra bit of positivity that helped her during her time at the hospital. It all comes from an unwavering belief that we must look ahead, and not backwards.
“Strength comes from a place of positivity,” she says. “You must know what the end goal is and start heading for it from day one. Each cancer patient faces some scary things, but with a smile the outcomes and ride along the way are surely always better.”
