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Beads for Medicine: A Unique Source of Healing
Richard Bestwick
In today's intricate world of modern techniques, can beads for medicine prove to work? One must be willing to explore a unique source of healing.
Beads of Courage is a resilience based intervention program dedicated to helping children cope with serious illness, providing therapeutic and artistic support to help make a child's difficult journey through struggles more hopeful and inspiring.
Patients diagnosed with cancer or other types of serious illness are given a strand of beads with their name on it. For every medical treatment they complete, they are given handmade beads which represent their personal journey. Beads collected throughout the recovery process become a symbol of challenges faced and a life forever changed.
Located in Tucson, Beads of Courage was founded by Jean Baruch as a research based program pursuing her P.H.D. Eventually she collaborated with local artist Christy Puetz who was working at The Bead Museum in Glendale. Now they are program directors, continuing to dedicate their lives to this purpose.
At Lola coffee shop in downtown Phoenix I asked Christy a few questions about her role with Beads of Courage and as an artist-in-residence.
She described the transition as, "A natural flow...from being an artist to that, it's like there's no separation between the two. For me, it just makes sense."
Expressing her desires, Christy went on to say, " I hope people realize that these two should be combined: Art Therapy...the arts can definitely heal. "
Christy says she compares Beads of Courage to The Little Engine That Could, still considering it to be a small project they started which turned into a lasting impact. Fifty-five hospitals and counting have implemented the various programs Beads of Courage offer! Phoenix Children's Hospital is one of those.
Given the opportunity to sit with eleven year old local cancer survivor Ainsley, I was grateful that she chose to share her reflections.
She was playing at a soccer tournament in California when her family noticed a rare lump near her knee. When they returned to Arizona, Ainsley was diagnosed with bone cancer.
"They said that I might die and I was kind of afraid because I didn't want to die because I was only nine years old…Then I thought, well if I die, it must be my time to go, but then I knew I wouldn't."
Ainsley and her family were able to use Beads of Courage during the time it took to overcome their situation. They are a brave example of what many families battle every day. "I like looking at the beads. They inspire me. They help remind me what I've been through."
I asked what advice she would offer to others facing similar challenges. She said, "Stay strong and just keep your hopes up. Don't think bad thoughts. Have faith in yourself and faith in the doctors."
Stories like this affect not only the patients, but also everyone involved in the recovery process, such as siblings, parents and professional providers. Other programs have been created to help all of them as well. A few of these programs are Beads of Courage Sibling, Touch for Strength and BEad Caring.
Phoenix Children's Hospital is one of three facilities in the country to bring Beads of Courage into its Cardiac Department. Child Life Specialist Wendy Pauker said, "I definitely think it's motivational for patients and parents. It is something they will always have to remember their journey of living with a Congenital Heart Defect."
The Arizona Museum For Youth is currently hosting an exhibition titled Every Bead Tells A Story, featuring bead artwork by Christy Puetz and stories about some of the cancer survivors who used Beads of Courage.
Curator Jeffory Morris explains, "It gave me goose bumps when I first heard about it...I saw this as a way of giving back and making a difference." Beads of Courage has proven to be a success, touching many communities here and afar.
Beads of Courage is a resilience based intervention program dedicated to helping children cope with serious illness, providing therapeutic and artistic support to help make a child's difficult journey through struggles more hopeful and inspiring.
Patients diagnosed with cancer or other types of serious illness are given a strand of beads with their name on it. For every medical treatment they complete, they are given handmade beads which represent their personal journey. Beads collected throughout the recovery process become a symbol of challenges faced and a life forever changed.
Located in Tucson, Beads of Courage was founded by Jean Baruch as a research based program pursuing her P.H.D. Eventually she collaborated with local artist Christy Puetz who was working at The Bead Museum in Glendale. Now they are program directors, continuing to dedicate their lives to this purpose.
At Lola coffee shop in downtown Phoenix I asked Christy a few questions about her role with Beads of Courage and as an artist-in-residence.
She described the transition as, "A natural flow...from being an artist to that, it's like there's no separation between the two. For me, it just makes sense."
Expressing her desires, Christy went on to say, " I hope people realize that these two should be combined: Art Therapy...the arts can definitely heal. "
Christy says she compares Beads of Courage to The Little Engine That Could, still considering it to be a small project they started which turned into a lasting impact. Fifty-five hospitals and counting have implemented the various programs Beads of Courage offer! Phoenix Children's Hospital is one of those.
Given the opportunity to sit with eleven year old local cancer survivor Ainsley, I was grateful that she chose to share her reflections.
She was playing at a soccer tournament in California when her family noticed a rare lump near her knee. When they returned to Arizona, Ainsley was diagnosed with bone cancer.
"They said that I might die and I was kind of afraid because I didn't want to die because I was only nine years old…Then I thought, well if I die, it must be my time to go, but then I knew I wouldn't."
Ainsley and her family were able to use Beads of Courage during the time it took to overcome their situation. They are a brave example of what many families battle every day. "I like looking at the beads. They inspire me. They help remind me what I've been through."
I asked what advice she would offer to others facing similar challenges. She said, "Stay strong and just keep your hopes up. Don't think bad thoughts. Have faith in yourself and faith in the doctors."
Stories like this affect not only the patients, but also everyone involved in the recovery process, such as siblings, parents and professional providers. Other programs have been created to help all of them as well. A few of these programs are Beads of Courage Sibling, Touch for Strength and BEad Caring.
Phoenix Children's Hospital is one of three facilities in the country to bring Beads of Courage into its Cardiac Department. Child Life Specialist Wendy Pauker said, "I definitely think it's motivational for patients and parents. It is something they will always have to remember their journey of living with a Congenital Heart Defect."
The Arizona Museum For Youth is currently hosting an exhibition titled Every Bead Tells A Story, featuring bead artwork by Christy Puetz and stories about some of the cancer survivors who used Beads of Courage.
Curator Jeffory Morris explains, "It gave me goose bumps when I first heard about it...I saw this as a way of giving back and making a difference." Beads of Courage has proven to be a success, touching many communities here and afar.
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