Going through cancer treatment can be frightening, especially for children. Cancer patients have no choice but to be brave and undergo the treatments necessary. While adults are more likely to have an understanding of their disease and what it will take to beat it, it's hard for children to look beyond scary medical procedures, therapy that makes them feel even sicker and so many other stressful parts of having cancer. That's where the group Beads of Courage comes in. The group was started in 2003 by Jean Gribbon while she was working on her PhD in Nursing at the University of Arizona, College of Nursing. Her inspiration came from her clinical practice, and from her experiences as a camp nurse at one of Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camps for children facing cancer
Currently the program serves children in 8 countries around the world. The kids look forward to getting a bead for various milestones like staying in the hospital, undergoing chemo or a surgery and doing so many other scary things in the course of their treatment. Currently some beads are in short supply and the organization is working diligently to keep the supply up for those who look forward to receiving them.