In 2000, Liz Benditt moved from California to Kansas City to be closer to her mother, who was recovering from breast cancer. She fully expected the relocation to be temporary.
Twenty years later, she launched The Balm Box, a cancer care package service, from her Leawood home. “Kansas City has taken such amazing care of me and my family,” she says today. “The people I love most are all here—it is my forever home.”
Benditt was diagnosed with cancer for the first time in 2009. She survived, and she’s survived five cancers since. The treatments had agonizing side effects, and as she got through them, she noticed a disconnect between cancer survivors’ needs and the gifts they receive. Well-intentioned loved ones brought Benditt pink apparel as she underwent radiation treatment for breast cancer, but what she really needed was relief. Her skin was in pain—she needed ice packs, lotions, lip balms, and something to keep her arm’s weight off her body.
In 2020, Benditt put out a survey asking cancer survivors about items they felt were helpful in their treatment. “The items that got the best scores were all functional,” she says. And when she asked friends and family of people with cancer how they feel, the most frequent response was “hopeless.”
Four years ago this month, she created The Balm Box to help both groups. The Overland Park-based business provides specialized gift boxes to ease the side effects of specific cancer treatments. Some include wire-free bandeau bras and padded seat belt covers; others include anti-nausea products and eyebrow pencils. For survivors and caregivers, The Balm Box provides relief.
Liz’s essentials...
Shop Small: I’m a big fan of Made in KC. It’s my go-to shop in Corinth Square. We see our friends in Minneapolis regularly now that my daughter is a student at UMN, and they are always appreciative of the Charlie Hustle T-shirts and shuttlecock merch we bring up north.
Self Care: I’ve been a client at Lumine Salon in Waldo for more than five years. Colby is my stylist, and I’ve put her in charge of my hair color. Without Colby, I’d be a truly frumpy frump! She keeps me feeling and looking just a bit younger than the number on my driver’s license.
Best Bite: My favorite restaurant in KC is Billie’s Grocery in Ranch Mart. Depending on whether I’m feeling sweet or salty, I go for a gluten-free cinnamon roll (which are to die for—even my non-GF family loves them) or a lox and bagel plate with monster-sized capers.
Get Boozy: I love a well-made margarita, and one of my favorite spots for one is Taco Republic in Prairie Village. I love sitting on the patio with a giant bowl of tortilla chips and spicy salsa and a gaggle of friends. It’s my happy place!
Hidden Gem: Whenever we have friends come visit from out of town, my favorite place to bring them is the Arabia Steamboat Museum in the River Market. It’s such a unique and interesting place. I also love that it’s family-owned and operated!
Local Maker: Rachel Huck runs a business called Polish Your Parts. She makes phenomenal skincare products that are all-natural, vegan, and paraben-free. Her lavender-scented lotion is ah-mazing, but I also adore her mint lotion and lip balms.