General News
15 April, 2026
Packs provide comfort
PATIENTS at the end-of-life in Cairns Hospital’s cancer care ward are being supported with newly developed comfort care packs, thoughtfully designed to provide warmth, dignity and gentle comfort during a deeply emotional time.
Each pack is made possible through community donations and helps ensure patients and their loved ones feel cared for beyond clinical treatment.
The packs were created by cancer care ward nurses, who support many palliative patients through the final stages of their cancer journey – some for only a short time, others who become part of the ward family after months or even years of care.
Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service cancer care ward clinical nurse Kozue Kelly said the packs were developed from a deeply personal place, in partnership with the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation.
“These comfort care packs are our nurses’ wish list – the items we wish we’d been able to provide in the past to support patients and their families during end‐of‐life care,” she said.
“Palliative care involves so much more than a pack, but this can add an extra layer of comfort at a very difficult time.”
Each pack contains carefully chosen items designed to soothe both body and mind, including a café voucher, soft neck pillow, fluffy socks, fleece blanket, no‐rinse shampoo cap, lip balm, nail set, silicone drinking straw, hairbrush, lavender essential oil, notebook, water bottle, chamomile tea, biscuits, a memory pouch for keepsakes such as a lock of hair or photograph and a grief information envelope.
Ms Kelly said the packs were designed to support families as much as patients.
“We hope the packs bring comfort not just to patients, but also to families, who will carry the memory of these final moments with them forever,” she said.
“If we can help create a moment that feels calm, loving and supported, then we know we’re making a difference.”
The initiative has been made possible through an initial $2000 donation from the Redlynch Valley Tennis Club, along with additional funding from the foundation – but demand for the packs means continued community support is essential.
Foundation CEO Gina Hogan said every donation helped extend the program and ensure more patients and families could benefit.
“These comfort care packs are a powerful example of how donations directly improve patient and family experiences at the most vulnerable times,” Mrs Hogan said.
“Because of generous donors, we can provide comfort, dignity and kindness when it matters most,” she said.
“With continued support, we can fund more packs and reach more families during their final moments together.”
The foundation is encouraging the community to help expand the program, with donations directly contributing to the creation of additional comfort care packs.
“Every donation, no matter the size, helps provide another pack for a patient and their loved ones,” Mrs Hogan said.
“It’s a simple but meaningful way to make a lasting difference,” she said.
Donations can be made online at www.bit.ly/48gzcVa
