Kathleen Lodes' time as a patient inspires business helping hospitalized

My amazing sister, Kathleen Lodes, started her own company recently, it's a short read but an inspirational one. Kathleen is living proof that much good can come from many trials.

Kathleen has parlayed her survivor mentality into something fruitful — a growing business that helps people care for hospitalized loved ones through unconventional gift-giving. Lodes and business partner Katie Thiemann are the founders of Send Well Wishes, a company that sells uplifting gifts custom-designed for hospital patients. Having spent a good deal of time in medical wards herself, Lodes says she and Thiemann saw a need for more useful and meaningful gift options other than the usual flowers and cards. They developed a product line that includes everything from soft throw blankets to gift bags with practical items such as treatment journals, back scratchers, whimsical pillows, toiletries, personalized gifts, even strings of lights for decorating hospital rooms. Items are sold online at www.sendwellwishes.com, and at some St. Louis hospital gift shops; they range in price from a few dollars up to about $150.