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 children tell their story using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that commemorate milestones they have achieved along their unique treatment path.
How Does it Work?
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.
Woodworkers and wood turners throughout the county, make and donate boxes and lidded bowls for the children to store their beads (sometimes in the hundreds).
Here are pictures some of the bowls and boxes made by Tellico Village Woodworkers, plus a few of the kids at Children’s Hospital that have received them. Click on any picture to start a slide show