Guest Blog Post – Beads of Courage Member Emily Rayne, age 16
My name is Emily and I am a type 1 diabetic and part of the Beads of Courage program. I will never forget when my world was flipped upside down six years ago. I remember being 10 years old and was told my life would never be the same. When I walked into Children’s Hospital, I had no idea what to expect; but thanks to the amazing staff there, they told me about Beads of Courage.
As soon as I got my first bead I fell in love with the program. The Beads of Courage program helps me stay on top of my diabetes. It helps me on the hard days because when I don’t want to do something, I say to myself I will get a bead for it. I have 6 full strands of beads that range from getting my blood drawn to surgeries.
I am so thankful to be part of this amazing program. Being part of Beads of Courage makes me feel like part of a huge family. It connects me with a ton of other kids like me battling chronic conditions. There aren’t a lot of good things that are associated with diabetes, but the Beads of Courage program is one of them!
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A note from Beads of Courage: When you donate to our year-end fundraising appeal, you help make every day brighter for children and teens coping with serious illness. These are never just little beads. Thank you for making a difference for these courageous kids today!