Beads of Courage is a group in Canada that cares for the well-being of kids who are coping with a serious illness.

The group supports patients who are dealing with cardiac conditions, burn injuries, chronic health conditions, babies receiving care in the neonatal intensive care unit, as well enriching the treatment of children diagnosed with various health illnesses.

Judy Atkins with Faith, Hope, and Charity quilting club in Okotoks,  says the program gives each child a bag, and it has beads in it with their name on it, and they would add more beads over time.

"For each procedure, a child has done they get a glass bead in a particular color that they then create a necklace with."

Atkins adds, what she finds unique about the group is the fact it is a form of narrative medicine.

The beads allow each child to communicate with people about the journey they are on in a way people could understand.

Atkins says the group was brought to her attention by her husband after he attended a woodturners meeting in Calgary.

"Victoria is the head of Beads of Courage in Calgary, and she did a presentation at the woodturners meeting. My husband and a friends husband were at the meeting and came back saying that we had to do something for this group."

Atkins says they thought about what they could do and decided that making the bags the kids get their beads in was the best idea.

The group made 500 bags for the group.

"The bags we made are being taken to the Alberta Children Hospital in Calgary."

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