Students also get community service hours for school

I am a 48 year old mother of three beautiful girls. My husband Gary was diagnosed with leukemia in 2008. It was devastating news to me and the girls. The diagnosis was harsh, yet the prognosis was promising, so we kept our hopes up.

I remember that day I admitted Gary in the hospital for a 30-day induction of his first protocol of chemo-therapy. I was confused, anxious, and fearing for how I would take care of my family, home and bills.   Gary had always been the primary source of income.  I had been a stay at home Mom for 20 years.

Gary was put in remission and life went on as normal, until the following March 2009 when we got the devastating news of his relapse.  At that time, there was another 30 day induction which landed us in ICU, dialysis and many more complications.  

One day, I left the hospital wandering around to purchase necessities for Gary’s stay.  Almost as if it was meant to be, I ran across the Hugs and Kisses Center – a place where Palm Beach County residents go to support families like mine who battle cancer.

Once again my husband managed to overcome the treatment and the disease; we thought it was over.

It was during his second remission when we were asked if Gary would do a stem cell transplant to help keep him in remission.  The risk of the transplant was minimal considering the benefit. So, of course he jumped at the chance to prolong his life with his children. During the first stage of the transplant, we lost Gary.

It was devastating, the doctors were shocked and our family in disbelief.  His death on August 14, 2010 was a shock to us all.   But the harsh reality was the fate of me and my girls.   What was I to do? How would I get by?  No income!  A home! No vehicle!

My community stepped up to help us, including everyone who donates buttons, time or money to Hugs and Kisses, Inc.  They were able to help me by paying a month of my mortgage which was a lifesaver.  It’s been five months since my husband’s death.  We are still strongly emotionally and financially distraught – in ways I cannot begin to describe.   But, during some of our darkest moments, when the worrying was unbearable, we were able to get relief from Hugs and Kisses.

In addition to our core styles, we present the 2-strand leather with our logo button that we give for donations of $10 or more (plus $2 for postage and handling if it’s being shipped).

Aqua 2-strand Hugs and Kisses with silver logo button

Black 2-strand leather Hugs and Kisses with silver logo button.

This enables us to thank donors with a nice gift between the  BASIC Hugs and Kisses we give for donations of $5 or more and our DESIGNER Hugs and Kisses we give for donations of $20 or more.

A representative will confirm sizes for all online and phone-in orders.

Visit the Hugs and Kisses Center in Royal Palm Beach, FL where you can see our mentored teens in operation, and choose from an endless selection of color choices to suit your wardrobe.

Otherwise, feel free to contact us via email or phone to discuss available styles that suit your wardrobe.

Enjoy!

Dasco Manufacturing Shipment

We are so very humbled and further encouraged beyond words upon receiving a corporate donation of about 2,000,000 buttons from Dasco Manufacturing today.  Dasco manufactures the sewing kits that our military uses to maintain their uniforms.

These are buttons that were in their active inventory until uniform changes rendered these buttons obsolete.  They found us online.  This donation enables us to introduce a new military-themed line of bracelets to honor, support or remember active and veteran soldiers and their families who won, lost, or are still in a fight with cancer.  These new donated buttons will yield over 160,000 HUGS and KISSES bracelets in thanks for $1,500,000 in donations to the cancer patients we support.

If you donate via the PayPal link on this page, someone will call you to discuss available styles.

This marks the 4th unsolicited donation of buttons from corporations who recognize our efforts as deserving of support.  Every time this type of donation occurs, we increase the number of themed-lines of bracelets to attract donations from a wider audience.

To date, the corporations who have donated in chronological order are: Sher Plastics, Tiger Button Company, Dyno Merchandise, and now Dasco Manufacturing.

We’re introducing several Holiday bracelets in time for the 2009 season.  One we’re most proud of is “Soldiers Christmas” which uses authentic military uniform buttons with Christmas colors.

We thank these companies for their selfless generosity.  On behalf of the patients we support, we wish the very best for these companies and many HUGS AND KISSES to the people they employ this Holiday Season.

This is fantastic news that further validates our mission, objectives and practices as deserving of individual and corporate support.

We are pleased to inform you that contributions to Hugs and Kisses are deductible under section 170 and we are qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code.

To inquire about how you or your company can help teenagers in the business of helping cancer patients survive in your community, call 561-819-9471.