Gifting Joy was established in the fall of 2022 by Alexa Baltazar, who personally experienced the challenges of cancer treatment. Diagnosed with leukemia at 28, Alexa faced a transformative journey that included five hospitalizations for intensive chemotherapy and a month-long isolation during a bone marrow transplant.

 

This difficult experience inspired the founding of Gifting Joy, aimed at providing moments of happiness and joy for bone marrow transplant patients at Duke Hospital, starting with gift baskets delivered by Alexa. Recognizing the significant issue of infertility among young adults with cancer, Gifting Joy has expanded its mission, particularly since insurance in North Carolina does not cover fertility preservation, leaving patients with high out-of-pocket expenses.

 

Today, our primary focus is to support the Duke Cancer Institute Oncofertility Fund, which offers grants to young adults seeking to preserve their fertility during treatment, ensuring that financial barriers do not their hopes for future family-building. Additionally, we remain dedicated to spreading joy through gift baskets on the Duke bone marrow transplant unit, where journey began.