Gift tree - christmas present for unknown 15yrs girl - cancer sufferer

[handlemecarefully]

I have to get a present for a 15 year old leukaemia / cancer sufferer on the paed oncology ward of local hospital...but know very little about the likes and dislikes of 15 yr old girls.

Also need to be sensitive to her condition and not get her anything unsuitable (for instance someone suggested perfume to me, but that might not be a good idea if she is having chemo or something - might make her feel like being sick??)

If you can come up with some good ideas I would be extremely grateful. Especially if you can post links showing suggested gifts!

Budget - up to £20

Suggestions - please

I'm stuck here!

Oh crumbs, that's a hard one. I would be really inclined to get some lovely rich body or hand lotion and take the risk about the smell. Arran Aromatics do lovely gift sets. Maybe a lovely silk covered notebook, do you know the kind of thing I mean? The good thing about stuff like that is you could get several things for £20 and then there's a better chance that there'd be something she'd like. Otherwise a CD or something, but that's just about impossible if you don't know her. Or (getting on a roll here) a kit to knit a scarf? I will gladly do links for any of these if you think it's worth it!

I really like the idea of an exquisite notebook (supplemented by a few other things). Thanks tamum

Does she like animals? I loved horsey books at that age, makeup (you could get a little box set?)...

I'd get her a nice make up/ nail varnish set, she's probably feeling quite self conscious especially if she's lost her hair so make up may help cheer her up.

I don't know here Quootie, it's done anonymously...but I guess most 15 year olds probably like ponies and other animals, so that's definitely a thought - thanks

A diary to record all her thoughts in? Might be a bit hard for her though.., but I know girls that age like diaries. If it had a lock on it would be even better.

Ummmm - what's a funky nail varnish colour for teenagers....? I could put some nail varnish in with the fancy notebook...

Oh yes, the notebook with nail varnish would be good. And a nice pen, maybe?

How about something like this ?

Plus this site has other possibilities, like the more frivoulous stick men cubes.

Frivolous, even. I'm sure you know the ones I mean.

this is about £9 more than you want to spend, but I would have loved it at 15, and so would the 15 year old girls I teach now.

I think a notebook is lovely

I think at 15 I'd have been mortified with ponies / horses

I think its an incredibly difficult age to choose for

I'd be inclined to go for something a little different personally .. something that she might find amusing / interesting

how about a backwards clock

or an ant farm in blue gel

but I do like the exquisite notebook idea .. maybe a lovely photo album? Boots do some pretty nice ones

I probably would have been too, Twiglett. At 15 I was wearing only black, drinking snakebite and snogging alot.

However, if she is receiving treatment for leukaemia she may be a little more mature than I was

Maybe HMV/Amazon/Play.com vouchers? Then she can choose her own CDs.

Yep, at 15 I would have taken it as a slur.

Some fantastic suggestions here - no longer stumped. Thanks very much

Now it's decisions, decisions!

I would normally go for vouchers for that age but I think it depends on how much time she's spending out of hospital- if she's on the ward a lot then I would avoid anything that might rub it in that she's not able to go out and shop. If she's got computer access then an Amazon voucher would be different though. Don't know if you can get them as an object as opposed to an email though?

I think book or music tokens would be best for someone stuck in hospital, I wonder if the paed ward has internet terminals for patients.
And a pink cowboy hat because everyone looks good in one and they make people smile.