Beads Of Courage
How It Started -By Jean Gribbon, PhD, RN
The year was 1979 and I had just turned five years old. I loved to visit my friend Miles. He lived on a horse farm and we would have fun exploring the outdoors and watching the horses. After one visit, I was told by my mom that Miles had cancer. I didn’t know what that meant exactly, but I knew that it was something to be worried about. As time passed, I knew that cancer was slowly taking away my friend. With each visit, there was a dramatic decline in his function. We would no longer play outside. I remember how tired he was and within a short period of time, he could no longer sit upright in his bed. He would watch me play on his Atari and although at five years of age there wasn’t a lot I could do, I knew that my visits made him happy. It gave me comfort that he wasn’t alone during a time that was clearly very scary for us both. Within a year, Miles died.
Serving As A Proud Board Member-Cindie Wolfe
My First Awareness Of Beads Of Courage Was Unfortunately A Sad Event , My Niece Kelsey Who Passed Away At Age 18 From Aml Leukemia Was A Bead Recipient. At Her Celebration Of Life Kelsey’s Parents ( My Brother & His Ex Wife Held A Massive Strand Of Beads She Had Received To Record Her Cancer Journey. What A Visual Impression That Made On Me.
Kelsey Had Made An Impression On Many Of The Nurses And Child Life Specialists At The Hospital And A Few Months After Her Passing A “ Carry A Bead “ Was Made In Her Honor . The Queen Bee Kit. That Was Her Nickname.
Several Years Later As I Was Winding Done With My Term On The Board At Ben’s Bells I Ran Into The Founder Of Beads Of Courage, Jean Gribbon . I Asked Her If She Would Be Looking For Board Members. I Am Currently On The Board As Of January 2023.
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Beads of Courage Goals:
