When people think about cancer care, they often think about doctors, treatments, and research breakthroughs. Those things are essential. But for many patients, hope can also arrive in a much simpler form: a vibrant mum plant waiting at the end of a hospital hallway.
That’s the heart behind Blooming with Hope, an annual fundraiser benefiting the American Cancer Society and supporting local cancer patients and healthcare workers across central Iowa. Presented by Wellabe, the program raises funds for cancer research and support services while delivering gifts of encouragement to people whose lives have been touched by cancer.
Since its launch in 2017, the campaign has raised more than $115,000 and delivered thousands of plants to patients and healthcare workers. This year, orders can be placed July 22-Aug. 19, and the plants will be delivered Aug. 21-25.
For the recipients, those flowers are more than a thoughtful gesture. They’re a reminder that even during some of life’s most difficult moments, someone cares.
For Ankeny resident Sue Hay, Blooming with Hope became deeply personal.
For years, Sue volunteered with the American Cancer Society after a close friend was diagnosed with cancer at just 27 years old.
Cancer had touched nearly every member of her family. Her father, brother, and sister all survived cancer. Her mother lost her battle with kidney cancer.
Then in 2022, Sue received her own diagnosis: breast cancer.
At the time, she was already volunteering with Blooming with Hope, helping create floral arrangements for patients and healthcare workers.
“One day in 2022, I went in on a Sunday to help Blooming with Hope make arrangements,” Sue recalls. “On Tuesday, I went in for treatment, and the flowers were lining the halls.”
Staff invited her to choose a mum for herself.
“It’s funny because I knew they’d be there,” she says. “I liked how they put them along the hallway because it made it pretty. It was fun to see all of them there. Because I had to go every day, it was fun to see them disappear throughout the week too because it meant people were getting them and taking them home.”
Having experienced Blooming with Hope as both a volunteer and a patient gave Sue a unique perspective.
“When you're working on them, you put your little prayers in them for the recipients,” she says. “It was nice to be on both sides.”
For Megan Wilshusen of Norwalk, the unexpected gift arrived during a particularly challenging stretch of treatment.
Megan, a middle school teacher and mother of two, was first diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2024 after noticing abnormal symptoms and undergoing a biopsy. Less than a year later, while traveling with her family, she learned the cancer had returned.
Her medical team quickly developed a treatment plan that included chemotherapy, internal radiation, and external radiation. Today, she continues immunotherapy treatments while looking ahead to a cancer-free future.
She says daily treatments can take a physical and emotional toll: “When you're going through treatments, it's easy to get down. It's a lot, especially daily radiation. You appreciate the small things.”
One day, as she arrived for treatment, healthcare workers led her to a hallway lined with Blooming with Hope mums.
“The mums made me happier,” Megan says. “It's amazing that you can smile when you're about to do something yucky. It's just a nice gift. I was amazed by how people were giving. It was the pick-me-up that I needed.”
The impact extended beyond the moment she received the plant.
“Bringing the mums home helped me remember that we can do hard things,” she says. “It's nice to know people I don't even know care.”
One unique aspect of Blooming with Hope is that its gifts reach not only patients but also the healthcare professionals who walk alongside them every day.
In addition to delivering "Gifts of Hope" to patients, the program also provides "Gifts of Gratitude" to staff members at local cancer centers, offering recognition for the compassion and care they provide.
Sue believes the healthcare workers deserve every bit of encouragement.
“It must be hard for oncologists and staff knowing you don't win every time,” she says. “The mums are a big hug of thank you for doing all this work.”
For patients like Megan, the people providing treatment often become an extended family.
“My oncologists feel like family, especially when you're in it for two years,” she says.
The flowers may seem simple, but they create moments of connection and gratitude in places where both are needed most.
Cancer can feel isolating. Both women emphasized that support from others has been essential to their journeys.
Sue points to dedicated volunteers, advocates, researchers, and healthcare teams as sources of inspiration. She remains grateful for the advances in cancer research that have helped save lives, including her sister's.
Megan credits her family, friends, and care team with helping her navigate treatment. Her son stepped up to drive her to radiation appointments. Her daughter greeted her when she returned home. Parents, in-laws, friends, and medical professionals helped carry the weight when she couldn't do it alone.
“I wouldn't be strong if it wasn't for the people who helped me through it,” she says.
That spirit of community is exactly what Blooming with Hope seeks to cultivate. Funds raised through the campaign support the American Cancer Society's mission of funding research, advocacy, and patient support services while delivering visible reminders of hope and encouragement to those facing cancer.
When asked what they would tell someone currently undergoing treatment, both women offered nearly the same advice.
“Keep hope,” Sue says. “If you're really struggling, rely on the people around you.”
Megan echoed that sentiment.
“Don't lose hope. There are hard days. Just feel your feelings,” she says. “It's the people lifting you up and the little things along the way that get you through.”
Those little things are exactly what make Blooming with Hope special.
A flowering plant. A handwritten card. A volunteer's time. A company's sponsorship. A healthcare worker's smile.
Individually, they may seem small. Together, they send a powerful message to patients and caregivers alike: You are seen. You are supported. And you are not alone.
Blooming with Hope is working toward its 2026 fundraising goal of $25,000 to support the American Cancer Society and continue delivering Gifts of Hope, Gifts of Gratitude, and cancer care packages to local recipients. Join Wellabe, July 22-Aug. 19 in supporting their mission by purchasing mums, donating gifts, or contributing directly to the campaign through the American Cancer Society's Blooming with Hope fundraiser. Your gifts will be delivered Aug. 21-25.
Because when a community comes together — even in small ways — hope has room to bloom.
Photo credit: Blooming with Hope
Wellabe offers life and supplemental health insurance plans to help you prepare for good days and bad. We’ll always be here to empower you to be well — well prepared and well protected.
