Bittersweet Baking Co. Merchandise

We are pleased to offer Bittersweet Baking Co. merchandise. Eighteen percent of all apron and raglan tee shirt sales will be donated to The Katherine A. Gallagher Integrative Therapies Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. The Program offers cancer patients access to wellness services including acupuncture, massage, yoga, and music therapy.

When my mother was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer, a good friend (an angel, actually) quickly directed our family to the outstanding professionals at the Katherine A. Gallagher Integrative Therapies Program. On a weekly basis, my mother looked forward to her appointments for acupuncture and massage which made all the difference in the world as far as how she tolerated her cancer treatments (beautifully, in case you were wondering).

Prior to cancer, my mother had never had a massage in her life. Nor had she tried acupuncture. Those appointment days were the ones she looked forward to the most. They gave her focus and purpose and connected her with some of the most wonderful people she had ever met in her entire life. My mother always described her 20-month long stint with cancer as a blessing. Without it, she would say, she would never have met so many wonderful, kind and caring people.

We always wondered what would have happened if my mother didn't have her acupuncture or massage appointments. Unfortunately, we found out, once COVID-19 entered the picture. At that point, my mother was no longer able to go to her acupuncture and massage appointments as those were not considered essential in the same way as a chemotherapy treatment.

Whether by coincidence, a result of my mother losing those wellness services, or the nature of my mother's disease, her health took a turn pretty quickly. My mother passed away in June 2020.

We will never know scientifically how much of a role the integrative therapies played in keeping my mother unbelievably strong and upbeat for so many months, but there is zero doubt that in addition to the wonderful medical care my mother received, the complementary wellness services made all the difference.

At Bittersweet Baking Co., we want to give back and help raise awareness about the importance about the great partnership between medial and alternative therapies.

Thank you for joining us in this mission.