Beads of Courage

A Unique Program for Children Coping with Serious Illness

Contact Robert Simmons who is the Southern Flames Liaison to the BOC Program: rbsimmons@mindspring.com for additional information.

Southern Flames has embraced and supported the Beads of Courage program, based in Tucson, AZ. This program gives provides emotional support for children undergoing treatment for cancer.  Treatment programs can be very difficult and painful for these kids. Beads of Courage® provides colored beads to these children as the wind their way through the treatment process.  Each child selects a new bead when they have undergone a procedure. The beads are reminders to be brave, and give the children stories to tell about what they have been through.  The effectiveness program can be appreciated though Stories of Courage:

 http://www.beadsofcourage.net/stories.htm

We have a box decorated with the Beads of Courage® logo on the lid available in the Southern Flames resource cabinet in Beads by Design where you can drop off beads at any time. Robert Simmons collects the beads monthly and sends them to Beads of Courage®. Southern Flames has hosted bead making parties for this cause.   Beads of Courage® and Frantz Art Glass have donated glass rods in a variety of colors to Southern Flames so that members can make beads for the kids.  This glass is also located in the Resource Cabinet, and we encourage our members to contribute as many beads as possible. Click here to see some of the beads that Southern Flames members have made for the program.

The full story of Beads of Courage® can be found on their website at:

http://www.beadsofcourage.net/

A brief overview of information about the beads themselves and noted for bead makers can be located at:

http://www.beadsofcourage.net/pdf/beadartistcorner.pdf

 NEWS:

I’ve got a couple of things for the BoC page next time you do an update on the SF web site.  The BoC program at the Emory campus location for Children’s Health Care of Atlanta is up and running as of June 9, 2008.  It has been very well received and is a great success.  The program at Scottish Rite will begin to give beads to the kids on October 6.

• 7/24/08 Two BOC Programs in Atlanta

Robert Simmons reports that The BoC program at the Emory campus location for Children’s Health Care of Atlanta is up and running as of June 9, 2008.  It has been very well received and is a great success.  The program at Scottish Rite will begin to give beads to the kids on October 6.

• 11/15/07 Reply from Jean Baruch - Beads of Courage

Dear Diane and the Southern Flames,

This is such wonderful news!! I cannot thank you enough for the
generosity that the Southern Flames continues to provide Beads of
Courage both in bead donations and monetary support. We depend upon
both sources of support to provide the Beads of Courage Program as a
psychosocial supportive care program for children coping with cancer.

The funds provided will help to pay for the related program materials
that are needed to provide the Beads of Courage Program as a bedside,
clinical intervention. Given the size of the Children's Healthcare of
Atlanta, we anticipate their yearly bead needs costing roughly
$1,500-2,000 a year after start-up.

I look forward to sharing this great news with the nurse managers who
are working with us to establish the Beads of Courage Program at CHOA.
I will keep you all posted on the date we will schedule the BOC
Ambassador Training. I hope many Southern Flame artists can attend. I
look forward to meeting you all as I will be making the trip to conduct the training.

Great news! Thank you again,

Jean Baruch, RN, BSN
President
Beads of Courage, Inc. (a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization)
 

• 11/15/07 Letter from Diane Kovach (co-president SF) to Jean Baruch at Beads of Courage

Dear Jean,

I am Diane Kovach, one of the current co-presidents of the Southern Flames Glass Bead  Makers chapter of ISGB in Atlanta, GA You have been in contact with Robert Simmons, our chapter contact.

Last night at our meeting he presented the Beads of Courage to our group and showed the DVD. We the SF Board wanted to let you know that the membership joins the Board in looking forward to the BOC program coming to Atlanta. We have voted to donate $1500 to the program start-up in Atlanta . Please let me know what is the best way for us to do this.

Thanks and I look forward to speaking with you very soon.

Diane

• BEADS of COURAGE in ATLANTA  The latest news is that Children's Health Care of Atlanta is planning to start a Beads of Courage group in the near future.  We’ll keep you posted on local developments and let you know how the bead makers in Atlanta can help.

• CHILDREN of COURAGE   Robert Simmons received a copy this wonderful email from Kelly Lind who sent  it to Jean Baruch of the Beads of Courage Program.  I t will give you an idea of how much these beads mean to the children and their families.

Hi Jean,

Amy and I both recently experienced just how much the Beads of Courage program means to our kids and we thought we would share it with you!  We recently had a patient pass away after a long fight with her illness.  While she was with us she was always very excited about her beads and made sure to get them every chance she could get.  Amy and I recently attended her funeral service.  The patient had been cremated and her grandmother had her ashes put into one of her teddy bears.  The teddy bear was sitting in the front of the church wearing on of the patients nightgowns.  When Amy and I went to the front to talk to the family following the service we noticed that the teddy bear was wearing the little girls Beads of Courage necklace.  We mentioned it to the little girl’s grandmother who ho told us that she had wanted the little girl to have everything she loved with her.  Needless to say Amy and I both started crying!  It is so nice to know that the Beads of Courage program means so much to the children and families we all serve!  So Amy and I both wanted to send you a BIG thank you for coming up with such a wonderful and meaningful program that you have allowed us to share with our families.  They really do appreciate it and the program really does mean the world to these kids!  Keep up the great work! 

Kelley Lind, BS, CCLS
Child Life Specialist

If you would like to read more Stories of Courage click here.  

Contact Robert Simmons who is the Southern Flames Liaison to the BOC Program: rbsimmons@mindspring.com for additional information.