Are you ready to Take Courage to New Heights?

Whether you’re a BOC family, donor, clinician, artist, friend or supporter, share your Beads of Courage story and help raise funds we need to sustain our mission of hope and healing in more than 400 children’s hospitals around the world.

Did you know what your donation funds? Here are a few examples of how your donation funds important program needs at Beads of Courage as we help kids coping with serious illness record, tell and own their stories of courage.

• $75 – three siblings are supported by our sibling program
• $100 – moves one child or teen currently on a waitlist to receive Beads of Courage
• $250 – provides 4,000 program beads for our Beads of Courage Program
• $500 – provides our new DREAM program for 120 kids to teach them the power of art and their breath to cope with their medical condition

Whether you’re a BOC family, donor, clinician, artist, friend, or supporter, share your Beads of Courage story and help raise funds we desperately need to sustain our mission of hope and healing in more than 400 children’s hospitals around the world.

Helping Children and Teens Overcome Big Obstacles

Meet Grayson:

“I was doing some normal chores around the house and we keep Grayson’s beads in our living room and I stopped to pick them up and was struck by the weight of them all. Last year, Grayson went on hospice services and I think the reality of what that means felt like too much. That day that I picked up those beads and felt the weight of them, it felt like too much…too much for one kiddo to go through that most people never face in their whole life. Then, I noticed the string holding them all together, and how that string can hold all of that weight. That string represents the community of people that have come alongside us and literally hold up the weight of what dealing with a chronic medical condition means. They hold that weight so that Grayson can be a little boy. So on that day, as I stood there holding those beads, facing the worst obstacle, I was reminded of not only all of the things that Grayson has been through, but of all of the people who have supported us and helped us carry all of that through life. We are so thankful for Beads of Courage!” – Grayson’s Mom

Meet Allyson:

“I love Beads of Courage because it helps me process my medical journey. Whenever I go through a tough experience- whether it be a clinic appointment, testing, procedure, or surgery; I know that I will be receiving a bead for it. Some things are so overwhelming to experience at my age, but the beads feel like a reward and a mark of my accomplishments. I have experienced many changes with my health throughout the years and it has been hard to deal with. I truly believe that Beads Make it Better. They are a symbol of my strength and my resilience. They are a symbol of what I have been through and overcome. Beads are a tangible reminder of my treatment journey. They are unique to me and tell my story. My beads are not like any one else’s beads because everyone has a different journey. My favorite memory of my beads is when I received a carry a bead from a military service member. It was like they gave their strength to me in a tangible way. I love to collect the cards that come with the carry a beads and the beads packed by Kiwanis clubs. It means a lot that others are willing to help with sending beads to kids like me to encourage us and help us keep going.” – Allyson, Beads of Courage Member

Meet Noah:

“My son, Noah, first started receiving his BOC in 2018 when he was 3 years old and newly diagnosed with leukemia. His beads told his cancer journey and showed just how brave our little boy was. Noah collected beads his entire first cancer journey and then started collecting again when he relapsed 11 months after ending treatment. Noah has over 4000 beads! We know our journey has been long and hard, but when we see him with all his beads, we realize we are overcomers and that we can do hard things. Noah’s BOC are a tangible way to share where we have been and where we are in our fight against leukemia. We look at his beads and they give us so much hope for they show we have beat the odds so many times and that we can continue to fight cancer one bead at a time.” – Noah’s Mom

Meet Remi:

“Each day Remi was in the NICU, she would receive beads for treatments, procedures, cares, physical therapies and other milestones. Each bead tells a story and I am so grateful for this wonderful program to have a tangible piece that we will one day get to tell Remi the wonderful story of how she overcame such difficulties so early in her life. Beads of Courage also has a sibling program that gave Remi’s three older sisters beads as well! Their beads symbolize attributes of strength, hope, courage, growth, etc. I am definately so blessed to have such strong girls! I strung the beads in chronological order starting after her name. Each yellow bead represents a day in the hospital (She was there 42 days). Rainbow beads are her occupational/physical therapy beads. My favorite is the glass heart above Remi’s head – representing the day I got to hold and meet her, 12 days after she was born 💖” – Remi’s Mom

Meet Alex:

My son loves the beads of courage program as it tells his story….he fought to be able to wear them at his graduation as they were a part of his story and he wanted it represented as he walked across the stage. He was diagnosed at age 13 with CML and is now 19 still on his Beads of Courage journey. He sponsors a run with his high school cross country team every year with the Carry a Bead program. We also participated in the Summer Challenge program and carried beads through Europe together. It was been an awesome way to track history and to help others track theirs! – Alex’s Mom

Meet Brody:

“Brody has been a Warrior from the day he was born. He has spent most of his first 2 1/2 years in and out of the hospital and at doctors appointments battling a rare genetic condition that has affected many parts of his body. Our Beads of Courage represents SO MUCH to our family. It symbolizes every heart breaking setback that was ultimately followed by such INCREDIBLE RESILIENT VICTORIES. Beads of Courage gives us a visual representation of our entire journey. It would be easy to try and forget some of the things Brody has been through but instead we celebrate each Bead as an Inspiring Victory. Brody is too young to remember everything he has endured but as he gets older, with the help of his Beads, he will be able to see just how AMAZING he truly is.” – Brody’s Mom

Meet Deklin:

“We are SO grateful for Beads Of Courage! This program is one of the most amazing ones yet. My son unfortunately has been through a lot with being diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma and going through chemotherapy and radiation for a year and now being re-diagnosed. They are something that brings light to our life and his each time my son receives one he lights up seeing the designs and knowing the meaning of each bead and why he received it. Beads of Courage have been a blessing to us. Thank You.” – Deklin’s Mom

Meet Lukas:

“Grateful beyond words for Beads of Courage! His beads are a reminder to us all how brave, strong and courageous Lukas is with each doctors visit or procedure. It’s such an incredible way to share with everyone about Lukas and all that he has overcome. We love that each bead commemorates many different treatments or milestones that Lukas has been through on his journey. Every single bead represents either a battle, struggle or an accomplishment that was courageously earned. A gentle, yet beautiful reminder of the battles Lukas has faced, but has overcome each one. His beads allow us to share his story!” – Lukas’ Mom

Meet Ethan:

“Beads of courage brings Ethan and his family comfort – being able to record his life journey – showing the trials, accomplishments and strength. Ethan’s siblings have been included throughout his journey participating in the sibling bead program. Ethan’s beads are a symbol of what he has endured in his life. He has been part of Beads of Courage since he was born in 2014- Ethan continues to collect his own beads each step of his medical journey while participating with his family in the carry beads to provide encouragement to other kids. Beads of courage continues to bring inspiration, courage, hope, and joy while positively impacting our entire family and our hearts. We love Beads of Courage ❤” -Ethan’s Mom

Meet Josephine:

“When our daughter’s health conditions started she was only 16 months old. We were left with little answers, lots of testing, and even more worry at that time but we were then introduced to the Beads of Courage program by a nurse who signed her up. Through each struggle, each test, each terrible day, the Beads of Courage program truly gave us hope through the toughest days. As the years rolled on, and as we gained answers and treatments, the Beads of Courage program beads gave my daughter’s struggle a different narrative. Instead of looking at each bad medical day as a negative, each bead turned her story and journey into a story of courage, hope and strength. Now 11 1/2 years into this chronic health journey with our daughter, she is now 3,124 beads strong!”- Josephine’s Mom