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The Program is a resilience-based intervention designed to support and strengthen the protective resources in children coping with serious illness. Through the program children tell their story using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that commemorate milestones they have achieved along their unique treatment path.

how it works

Upon enrollment each child is given the Beads of Courage bead color guide with a detachable membership card. Their Beads of Courage journey begins when each child is first given a length of string and beads that spell out their first name. Then, colorful beads, each representing a different treatment milestone are given to the child by their professional health care provider to add to their Beads of Courage collection throughout their treatment as determined by the Beads of Courage Bead Guide (available from Beads of Courage, Inc.) There are specific Beads of Courage Program Bead guides for cancer, cardiac conditions, burn injuries, and serious illness. All Program bead guides were developed in collaboration with experts in the field (nurses, doctors, child life specialists and social workers) so that each bead guide would reflect meaningful acknowledgment of a child's treatment journey. 

major benefits

Ongoing evaluation of the Beads of Courage program indicates that the program helps to decrease illness-related distress, increase the use of positive coping strategies, helps children find meaning in illness, and restore sense of self in children coping with serious illness. The program also provides something tangible the child can use to tell about their experience during cancer treatment and after.

tools training support

Beads of Courage, Inc. provides all hospitals the necessary program materials accompanied by education, training and support to implement the Beads of Courage Program.

• On-site training for staff that covers research and the science behind psychosocial interventions
• Procedure and alphabet bead collections
• Handmade one-of-a-kind treatment milestone beads
• Program literature (training manuals, membership bead guides and more)

contact

If interested in helping children coping with cancer, cardiac conditions, traumatic burn injuries or other serious illness through the Beads of Courage Program please contact 

csmith@beadsofcourage.org