What We Do

Bravery Beads program expands

Tuesday, 21 June 2011 15:47


Children undergoing treatment for respiratory illnesses at the Royal Children’s Hospital will now be able to receive Bravery Beads to commemorate milestones and help make procedures a little easier to bear.

The Bravery Beads program, funded by the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, is already operating in the oncology ward at the RCH, and its expansion into the respiratory area is a world first.

Bravery Beads are colourful beads in a range of different shapes, given to kids after often-traumatic procedures like chemotherapy and blood transfusions.

The beads provide children with a history of their journey through treatment at the Royal Children’s Hospital, and are intended to help them overcome illness-related distress, find meaning during hospital treatments, and ultimately restore their sense of self.

Following the launch on 21 June, the beads will help to change the way sick kids see respiratory illnesses, as well as cancer. Each bead is a milestone, a chance to smile and a reminder that they have courageously triumphed over a particular stage of their treatment.

Collecting the beads also has an important psychological benefit. The kids understand a particular hospital procedure may hurt but knowing they will get a new bead at the end of it gives them a welcome distraction.

“All kids are brave, regardless of the types of treatments and surgeries they have to go through. That is why RCHF is proud to be the first in the world to bring the Bravery Beads program outside of the oncology unit,” RCHF Chief Executive Officer Karenlee Spillane said at the launch.

Nine-year-old Zoe, who has cystic fibrosis, was the first child in the respiratory unit to receive a Bravery Bead at the program launch.

While Zoe looks like a normal healthy kid on the outside, her body fights a constant battle on the inside. She goes through intensive daily chest physiotherapy and nebuliser sessions to stop the build-up of fluid in her lungs. She also takes a multitude of pills each day to prevent infections.

Zoe said she was looking forward to collecting her very own set of beads.

“The beads are bright and colourful and make me smile. There are so many different shapes and styles to choose from, like purple hearts, pink cats and disco balls,” she said.

The Bravery Beads program is part of a broader procedural pain management plan in place at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

To read more about Bravery Beads, or to sponsor a bead, click here.
 

 

 

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