EVERY BEAD TELLS A STORY...

... OF STRENGTH, HONOUR AND HOPE, which sums up what Beads of Courage stands for.

Here's the Mission Statement for Beads of Courage:

"Caring for children coping with serious illness, their families and clinicians by helping them to RECORD, TELL and OWN their story of COURAGE through beads."

Because of my lifelong connection and passion for beads, Trollbead's main theme of "Every Bead Has A Story" and Beads of Courage's "Every Bead Tells a Story of Strength, Honour & Hope", I came up with an idea for our upcoming Trollbeads Glass Artisan Event. I decided to pull this trilogy of "Bead Love" together and donate the proceeds from Mariela's "You-Design" custom glass Trollbeads, which she'll create when she's here in Calgary at my shop, to Beads of Courage!

It seems to me to be the synergistic thing to do, and after reading through the story of Beads of Courage below, I hope you'll think so too.

In a nutshell, this explains a bit more of how the program works:

"What is the Beads of Courage Program? The Program is a resilience-based intervention designed to support and strengthen children and families coping with serious illness. Through the program members tell their story using colourful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that they receive to honour and acknowledge each step of their treatment journey. Beads are given according to a program specific program bead guide. For milestones in their treatment journey, they receive handmade one-of-a-kind glass beads that are donated by members of the International Society of Glass Bead-Makers (ISGB)."

For a more "visual" idea of the Beads of Courage program, please take a look at this touching and poignant VIDEO:

Beads of Courage Canada from Beads of Courage-Canada on Vimeo.

Isn't this video heart-warming and inspiring?

6 star beads = surgeries
97 yellow beads = nights in the hospital
More than 140 black beads = needle pokes
7 red beads = blood transfusions
75 light green beads = test/scans (with more to come)
20 white beads = rounds of chemotherapy
98 rainbow beads = physiotherapy/prosthetic appointments (with many more to come)

Just to name a few!

Interested in getting involved in this wonderful program? Here's one way, if you enjoy making stuff...BEADS OF COURAGE DONATIONS.





If you're not a maker but you'd still like to contribute, please check out the Beads of Courage "CARRY A BEAD" program. It's a way to participate in a very cool way! Check it out by Clicking on this Link: CARRY A BEAD Program.

Also in SUZIE Q'S DIARY