Beads of Courage

Our family belongs to a support group called Kids at Heart.  It is for families who have been treated by the cardiac surgeons at Egleston Hospital (Children's Healthcare of Atlanta).  Through Kids at Heart, I recieved an email today about a fundraising event for an organization that is coming to Sibley Heart Center at CHOA, and I am so excited.  I thought I would share...

The organization is called Beads of Courage.  It actually exists in MANY pediatric hospitals throughout the country.  Their goal is to help 'kids with serious illnesses record, tell, and own' their journeies.  They do this by issueing these children beads for every procedure they go through.  The beads for each procedure are unique to that procedure, as well as unique to each other in that they are all hand made and donated.  Children collect these beads as a record of their journey of survival, and journal about each bead and why it was received as they go.  This idea is part of a concept called art-in-medicine, and is meant to be a supportive program for both patients and family. 

One part of this program I particularly like is called "Team Beads of Courage".  As an athlete competing in any event is asked to make a donation, and is then given a bead.  They were that bead during training and then during their competition.  After they complete their event, they write a letter to a child who is coping with an illness, and include a photo of them at their event with their bead.  The bead and letter are given to a child as part of the Beads of Courage program.  The athlete is given a bead of their own, so that they can start their own collection of beads as they continue to compete in events as part of Team Beads of Courage. 

This program is coming to Sibley in Atlanta, and I can't wait to get a collection started for Sam.  Chris and I plan to participate in the Team Beads of Courage as a way to give back to this program what this program will be giving to our own son.    Check out their website for the other 50 hospitals across the country where this program can be found, and get involved if you can!

~Kathy