Avery Shivock poses with her Beads of Courage.
Beads of Courage is an organization that gives chronically ill children beautiful glass beads. Each color bead represents a different treatment to help the child explain and be proud of their medical journey.
DUNMORE — A five-year-old who beat stage 4 cancer two years ago is continuing to give back to others who battled the disease.
Avery Shivock beat the disease two years ago with the support of her family and the medical community. Now she and her family want to give back.
The Shivock family is holding a cookie sale on Aug. 20 to raise money for “Beads of Courage,” to go to children battling a serious disease. There will be a variety of cookies available made by local bakers and customers can justify the few extra calories for a good cause.
Beads of Courage is an organization that gives chronically ill children beautiful glass beads. Each color bead represents a different treatment to help the child explain and be proud of their medical journey. The bead program has come to many children’s hospitals across the United State and several other countries.
Children at hospitals that do not have the program, can apply to receive the beads by mail. Those children need a sponsor to cover the cost for them. Avery and her family have been and want to continue to make those beads possible, the program calls such support being a “wingman” to the program and its recipients. Avery’s mother, Stephanie, said last year the event raised $7,000 and was able to sponsor 70 children in the Beads of Courage program, at $100 each.
The program assists children both in the United States and other countries. Recently, the organization got a request from a mother in New Zealand.
Shivock said the beads are much more than simply a decorative bit of color to be worn around the children’s neck, even though they are beautiful. It becomes a way for the children to record their stories and for their immense courage to be honored. The beads also provide a tangible tool for lifting the family spirits.
Recently, Avery had been sedated for a series of scans at Children’s Hospital. As Stephanie waited, she reached for the Beads of Courage.
“I rolled them with my fingers in the waiting room. I feel their weight and remember how much she has been through at CHOP and how well she has been cared for each time,” she said. “I counted all of her light pink (anesthesia) beads and reminded myself that she has been just fine each of the previous times. I get lost in the beautiful glass and next thing I know a nurse is there to escort me back to her room. Yes they are Avery’s beads, but make no mistake, they help more than her.”
