LONG BRANCH — Inspired by the efforts of a 5-year-old girl in Nevada to touch the lives of cancer patients through Abby’s Purple Bag Project, a local Girl Scout troop delivered purple goodie bags to cancer patients at Monmouth Medical Center’s outpatient infusion center.
Members of Troop 1620 from Shrewsbury prepared purple goodie bags to distribute to people with cancer, continuing Abby’s original Nevada-based program. The Girl Scouts prepared 50 purple bags containing water, small snacks, hand sanitizer and the story of Abby’s Purple Bag Project.
The project originated when a young child’s grandmother was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. Wanting to cheer up her grandmother, 5-year-old Abby delivered a purple bag filled with things she thought her grandmother would enjoy. Touched by her granddaughter’s actions, Abby’s grandmother asked that — in lieu of buying unnecessary gifts for her own birthday — her family provide gifts to other patients undergoing chemotherapy. Abby reached her goal of distributing 1,000 purple bags in each state, and the project continues to grow.
Troop leaders, Jill Conway and Cristen Goldzweig, coordinated the visits to Monmouth Medical Center’s new Outpatient Infusion Center as well as the hospital-based Outpatient Infusion Center, BBR4, where the girls delivered their bags to patients undergoing treatment.
“The Girl Scouts were greeted at both sites by patients who were touched by their generosity. The visit created an environment infused with joyful energy,” said Peggy Laggner, clinical director of Outpatient Infusion Services, Leon Hess Cancer Center at Monmouth Medical Center, in a press release.
Girl Scout Troop 1620 also participated in Monmouth Medical Center’s “Roll Out the Ribbons” campaign by dedicating ribbons to those whose lives had been touched by cancer. For more information about Monmouth Medical Center, visit www.barnabashealth.org.