'Beads of Courage' Program Marks Milestones for Young Patients

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 9, 2012) — Christy Johnson, mother of a Kentucky Children's Hospital (KCH) patient, stumbled upon the "Beads of Courage" program while researching her daughter Kerrington’s congenital heart defect. Diagnosed moments after birth with a series of congenital heart defects, Kerrington was immediately transported to KCH. Since then, she has undergone open heart surgery and may have to undergo more surgeries in the future.

"I was very impressed with the program and what it stood for," said Johnson. "The feelings that I experienced when I received Kerrington’s Beads of Courage in the mail were ones that only can be understood by a parent who has had a child that has experienced the same journey."

The Beads of Courage program is designed to support and strengthen children and families coping with serious illness such as congenital heart disease. Through the program, children are given the ability to tell their stories using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that mark milestones they have achieved along their unique treatment path.

All the beads provided are hand crafted by bead makers all over the world so the unique beads are not just any ordinary bead that anyone can get without going through the journey. Each bead represents a different treatment milestone and are given to the child by their cardiology care team to add to their Beads of Courage collection throughout their treatment as determined by the Beads of Courage Bead Guide. The program helps to decrease illness-related distress, increase the use of positive coping strategies, helps children find meaning in illness, and restores sense of self in children coping with serious illness. 

The Cardiac Program Bead Guide was developed in collaboration with experts in the fields such as nurses, doctors, child life specialists and social workers, to reflect meaningful acknowledgement of a child’s treatment journey. For instance, patients get a yellow bead for an overnight hospital stay, a black for pokes, a glow-in-the-dark for an echocardiogram and a square heart bead for a cardiac surgery.

Johnson, who began a program called Kerrington's Heart in 2009 to support the patients and families during their journey, wanted to bring the "Beads of Courage" program to congenital heart patients at KCH. With the generous donations of supporters, the Beads of Courage Program is able to begin in January 2012.   

"We are excited about bringing this program to the Kentucky Children's Hospital because just like medals, ribbons, and certificates, these beads signify strength and courage for the patients and families," Johnson said. "A child facing another needle or procedure can look at their beads and realize that they made it through before so they can do it again."

For more information on Kerrington's Heart or to donate to the KCH Beads of Courage program, visit www.kerringtonsheart.org.

Media Contact:  Kristi Lopez, (859) 323-6363 or kristi.lopez@uky.edu