What Do You Send Someone Who Just Found Out They Have Leukemia???

I would send her a card, either made by the kids or at least signed by them, with a message that you are thinking about her.

One of our friends lost his battle with cancer a year and change ago and at his funeral, they had all the cards. Every last one. He said he liked the cards because he could hold them and re-read them to remember that people were thinking about him. When your immune system is shot, you can't have a lot of visitors.

My Cousin was diagnosed with cancer three years ago. She too was in her early thirties. We sent her gift cards for dinners. We assumed she would not be up to cooking for her three kiddos while going through Chemo, especially if she isn't up to eating herself. I also sent her a tshirt that said F*** Cancer. She is a notorious potty mouth, so this was very appropriate for her. She proudly wore it to Chemo sessions. But maybe a shirt with a positive message about being a warrior would be more appropriate for you. Google it, you'll find lots online. And something to keep her hands busy will come in handy. Chemo is boring. My cousin enjoyed little embroidery and jewelry making kits. It kept her busy and less bored. Itunes gift cards so she can download music on an mp3 player. ANd one of my cousins favorite gifts was given as a bit of a joke...a snuggie. But she had spells of chills and loved the snuggie. She said it was the only thing she could really wrap up in.

My SIL was very ill with cancer a few years back...not Leukemia but still something very serous. She had to have a bone marrow transplant and everything. it was so hard to watch.
Because of her treatments she was efficiently isolated from everyone. So to help her pass the time I sent her a starter beading kit. Its a hobby of mine, and it dose help pass the time.
She really enjoyed it! it got her mind off of what was happening to her and gave her something else to think about.
Do you know if she has a hobby she already does or would like to start? if so maybe something that would be useful. For that!!
As a side note, my SIL did respond to her treatment and is doing so much better now!! While she no longer beads I was happy that I could do something to help her though her tough time!! Dont give up hope!!

Try to send something every week. Flowers are great because they perk up a room and give people who visit something to comment on at a time when it's difficult to talk about anything. Remember that everyone will send something the first week. As time goes on the gifts fall away as people get on with their own lives. A simple act of kindness at week 3 or 4 might be more meaningful than something done at the start.

If she has an ipad you could send her itunes gift cards which she can use on books, movies, music, and games. Blankets will also be helpful. Gift cards to near-by restaurants...

One of the most difficult things with a diagnosis like this, beyond the initial shock, is the toll the treatments take on you over time. So she'll probably get a lot of offers and gifts up front, but the treatments will tend to sap her strength over time. So, while your support is wonderful now, it's going to be more important down the road.

One of the best things we've done with several people who've had critical illnesses is to start a network of helpers. It's very hard for the ill person to organize and decide what's needed and then ask people and coordinate a schedule. It's exhausting. The person does not need one more thing to do. Yes, she will probably need help with meals, but right now it's hard to know what will appeal to her - so gift cards for meals might be premature, and might be the wrong thing.

We found a useful website called Lotsa Helping Hands - it's free. I also found their customer support to be excellent. The person in need can designate a couple of coordinators, who then sends the newsletter invitation out to their circles of influence. So your kid's teacher could select someone from the school or the class, and perhaps someone from her family or group of personal friends. They would organize with her what she needs/wants, and put it on line in a newsletter that ONLY goes to those invited to join. So, for example, one friend of ours needed meals 4 days a week - she chose what she wanted and didn't want, and that could change based on her tastes. We put a cooler outside her garage, and people signed up for the days they wanted, and listed what they were bringing. The next person to sign up could see that lasagna and salad were already listed for Monday, so they could avoid making something similar on Wednesday. Everyone could see the listing that they didn't like pork and that there was a nut allergy in the family, for example. Things like "disposable containers" were specified so there was no need to keep track of dishes to return.

As time went on for another friend, it became important to sign up to drive her to appointments and to pick up her kids for softball or karate on certain days. So the coordinators just listed those tasks and the necessary days, and people signed up.

The person in need (or their family member, whoever is handling things) gets an email every day about what's been signed up for and by whom, so they know who's picking up the kids or who's bringing dinner. It also kept a list for her and let her send out thank you notes when it was all over.

I think the best thing you could do would be to find out who on the school staff is closest to her, and organize a meeting to discuss how best to channel all the well-wishers' offers of help so that this teacher gets what she needs when she needs it, and isn't overwhelmed by keeping track of who did what and who needs to be thanked.

That's not to say that the ideas of a bead kit or books are bad - they aren't. I agree with you that flowers are overdone - they also die and can be more depressing for the patient than uplifting. But organizing a chain of people to pitch in can be so encouraging to the patient and let them know that so many people are pulling for her - that can be the greatest gift of all.