While Receiving Cancer Treatments, Woman Discovers Way to Help Others

Aggie Ferguson has turned a body full of bitterness into a Basket Full of Blessings.

What am I meant to do through this?'"

Ferguson believes Baskets Full of Blessings is her answer.

Baskets Full of Blessings, a service Ferguson created a couple of months ago, offers gift baskets - ready-made or custom-designed - for people who are facing cancer or other difficult challenges.

"I remembered being told my lips would get chapped, my hands would get dry from the chemo, and that some teas will help with nauseousness," says Ferguson, who underwent a mastectomy, three months of chemotherapy and will finish up radiation treatments this week.

"So when I started thinking about what I could do, I thought, 'Wouldn't it be nice if there was a service that had all these things for people facing cancer and other difficult challenges in life?'"

That's when she hit on the idea of Baskets Full of Blessings.

According to Ferguson, a percentage of every sale will be donated to The Cancer Center at High Point Regional Health System, where she is a patient.

Because Ferguson is a cancer survivor, many of the baskets are geared toward cancer patients and include such items as breast-cancer awareness pens, stationery and bookmarks, inspirational books and CDs, and unscented lotions and lip balm.

The lotions and lip balm are especially useful for cancer patients, Ferguson explains, because chemotherapy often causes chapped lips and dry skin.

"And they're unscented because scented items can make you nauseous when you're undergoing chemo," she says.

Other available items include angel pins, writing journals, various herbal teas and coffees, cookies, lace angel ornaments, note cards and pocket calendars.

"I had trouble keeping track of my medical appointments when I was going through chemo - they call it 'chemo brain' - so that's why I've got the pocket calendars in there," Ferguson explains.

She's also working on a basket that will include lemonade mix, lemon tea and lemon mint cookies, and will feature the inspirational theme, "When life throws you lemons, make lemonade."

The gift sets come in various sizes and various containers - coffee mugs, baskets, small hat boxes, cello bags and even flowerpots.

There are gift sets for men and women - and eventually children, Ferguson says - and prices start as low as $4.99 and go up to $32.95.

"I'm trying to gear it for any budget," Ferguson says. "You can choose the container and choose the items you want to put in it. Or you can just buy the lip balm and lotion if you want - you don't have to buy a whole gift set."

Ferguson says Baskets Full of Blessings is her way of helping those who will have to follow the same path she has walked the past seven months.

"I think this is God's purpose for me," she says.

INTERESTED? Baskets Full of Blessings gift sets are available in High Point at Tricia's Pink Bow-tique. 1701-H N. Main St., and in Jamestown at the Jamestown General Store, 105 W. Main St. Orders also may be placed by calling Aggie Ferguson at 454-6662 or through http://www.basketsfullofblessings.com.