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Surprise flower deliveries lift spirits of cancer patients
A colorful surprise brought joy to cancer patients at an Iowa cancer center
IS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER KCCI EIGHT NEWS AT FIVE STARTS RIGHT NOW. WE COULD ALL USE SOME GOOD NEWS, RIGHT? AND THE TRUTH IS, THERE ARE SMALL, BEAUTIFUL GESTURES OF HUMANITY HAPPENING ALL AROUND US. SO TRUE. AND WE FOUND ONE ACT OF KINDNESS IN DES MOINES THAT’S GIVING CANCER PATIENTS A GIFT THAT THEY DID NOT EXPECT. AT JOHN STODDARD CANCER CENTER IN DES MOINES, A COLORFUL DELIVERY ARRIVES IN AN OFTEN BLEAK WAITING ROOM. WHEN I HAVE OPPORTUNITY WITH EXTRA FLOWERS, I TRY TO BRING THEM HERE. BOUQUETS OF FLOWERS GROWN LOCALLY BY CATHERINE SCHUTTE. THERE’S ALWAYS A GOOD TIME FOR FLOWERS. I THINK WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT FLOWERS CAN DO, HOW THEY’RE A NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION IN SO MANY POSITIVE WAYS. CATHERINE OWENS, HIVE AND PETAL, A BEEKEEPING FLOWER FARM IN PRAIRIE CITY. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO IS A CANCER PATIENT HERE, AND SHE TOLD ME ABOUT SO MANY OF THE WONDERFUL PROGRAMS THAT HAVE ENRICHED HER LIFE. AND WHEN I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DONATION IN KIND, I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF IT. TERRY DOROTHY IS THE FRIEND WHO INSPIRED HER TO START DROPPING OFF PETALS TO BRIGHTEN SOMEONE’S DAY. FOR YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THEM. THANK YOU. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SHE’S MET A RECIPIENT. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. MANY KENDALL PALS WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER LAST APRIL. A SHOCK FOR SOMEONE WHO HAD JUST COMPLETED AN ELITE LEVEL WEIGHTLIFTING COMPETITION. I’M 45 AND NEVER DID I IMAGINE THAT AT 45 I WOULD BE FACING SOMETHING LIKE THIS. HER ROUTINE MAMMOGRAM CAUGHT IT EARLY, BUT THAT DOESN’T MAKE IT ANY LESS SCARY. I’M NOT GOING TO SUGARCOAT IT. THIS JOURNEY IS ROUGH, AND I COULD COME UP WITH ALL KINDS OF COLORFUL WORDS. I REALLY, TRULY BELIEVE, THOUGH, THAT I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO STILL TO CONTINUE TO MOVE AND EXERCISE EVEN DURING TREATMENT. MANY TRIED TO MOVE HER BODY WHEN SHE FELT UP TO IT. HER INNER STRENGTH COMING THROUGH IN WAYS SHE NEVER IMAGINED. I’M JUST A HUGE ADVOCATE OF LIKE, CHANGING THE NARRATIVE FOR CANCER PATIENTS. MADDIE SAYS THE DAYS CAN BE LONG AND HARD, BUT IT’S MOMENTS LIKE THIS WHERE UNEXPECTED KINDNESS KEEPS YOU GOING. THIS WAS SUCH A SHOCK AND JUST A VERY PLEASANT SURPRISE. I REALLY WAS JUST LIKE, OH WOW, THIS IS SO COOL. SO IT WAS A REALLY LIKE, REALLY GREAT WAY TO JUST KIND OF LIFT THE SPIRITS. SUCH AN AMAZING ACT OF KINDNESS FROM CATHERINE. AND WE JUST SORT OF MET MADDIE BY ACCIDENT AND I THOUGHT, WOW, HER STORY IS SO INCREDIBLE. SHE’S SO BRAVE AND STRONG AND GRATEFUL TO HER FOR LETTING US FILM HER AND WATCH HER RECEIVING THOSE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS. WE’RE JUST ROOTING FOR HER IN HER CANCER JOURNEY. ABSOLUTELY. AND THE FACT THAT YOU FOUND THIS STORY STARTED OUT AND WANTED TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS. WE’RE SO DESPERATE FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.
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Surprise flower deliveries lift spirits of cancer patients
A colorful surprise brought joy to cancer patients at an Iowa cancer center
Sometimes the most colorful surprises come during the darkest times. That’s exactly what happened at John Stoddard Cancer Center in Des Moines. “I have a friend who is a cancer patient here, and she told me about so many of the wonderful programs that have enriched her life, and when I had the opportunity to make a donation in kind, I took advantage of it,” said Catherine Schut.Schut owns a beekeeping flower farm called Hive and Petal. She often drops off beautiful bouquets of flowers at the John Stoddard Cancer Center to brighten the day of cancer patients. Schut was dropping off 40 bouquets the day KCCI was there. “This was such a shock and a very pleasant surprise,” said Meddy Paulus. Paulus, 45, was diagnosed with breast cancer in April of 2025 after a routine mammogram. It came as a shock as she had just arrived back in Des Moines after competing in a elite level weightlifting competition. “Since I have gone on this journey and continue to go on it, I am just a huge advocate of changing the narrative for cancer patients,” said Paulus. Paulus says her cancer journey has been tough, but acts of kindness, like a surprise gift of flowers, brighten her day and inspire her to keep going. “It was a really great way to just kind of lift the spirits,” said Paulus.
Sometimes the most colorful surprises come during the darkest times. That’s exactly what happened at John Stoddard Cancer Center in Des Moines.
“I have a friend who is a cancer patient here, and she told me about so many of the wonderful programs that have enriched her life, and when I had the opportunity to make a donation in kind, I took advantage of it,” said Catherine Schut.
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Schut owns a beekeeping flower farm called Hive and Petal. She often drops off beautiful bouquets of flowers at the John Stoddard Cancer Center to brighten the day of cancer patients. Schut was dropping off 40 bouquets the day KCCI was there.
“This was such a shock and a very pleasant surprise,” said Meddy Paulus.
Paulus, 45, was diagnosed with breast cancer in April of 2025 after a routine mammogram. It came as a shock as she had just arrived back in Des Moines after competing in a elite level weightlifting competition.
“Since I have gone on this journey and continue to go on it, I am just a huge advocate of changing the narrative for cancer patients,” said Paulus.
Paulus says her cancer journey has been tough, but acts of kindness, like a surprise gift of flowers, brighten her day and inspire her to keep going.
“It was a really great way to just kind of lift the spirits,” said Paulus.
