Shine On! Beads of Courage Program

The Tyler Foundation is the sole representative of the US-founded Beads of Courage® program in Japan. Children fighting cancer receive colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage to commemorate milestones they have achieved along their unique treatment path. Each bead tells a story of strength, honor and hope.

This program has been shown to:

Decrease illness-related distress
Increase the use of positive coping strategies
Help children find meaning in illness
Restore sense of self in children coping with serious illness
Provide something tangible the child can use to tell about their experience during cancer treatment and after.

In addition, the Tyler Foundation offers athletes and anyone choosing to embark on a challenge the opportunity to participate in the very powerful Team Beads of Courage program whereby a very special bead is carried during a race, climb, or other event, then given to a child when they most need a boost of encouragement.

Program Background

Beads of Courage®, a form of arts-in-medicine, was developed by pediatric oncology nurse Jean Baruch, in the United States. The Beads of Courage® is a resilience-based intervention designed to support and strengthen the protective resources in children coping with serious illness. Through the program children tell their story using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that commemorate milestones they have achieved along their unique treatment path. The Beads of Courage® Program can be found in over 80 hospitals in the US, New Zealand and Japan. For more information visit the official Beads of Courage® website at www.beadsofcourage.org.

Beads of Courage in Japan

The Tyler Foundation is the sole representative of Beads of Courage® in Japan. We provide all related materials and training at to hospitals in Japan at no cost.

You can Join Team Beads of Courage!

If you are a professional or amateur athlete or are embarking a personal challenge, we invite you to join Team Beads of Courage (Team BOC). You will be given two beautiful, handmade beads to carry during your event. After your event, you keep one and one goes to the Tyler Foundation who will pass it on to a child with cancer when they most need some extra encouragement. Every Team BOC bead goes on a journey. It starts with the artist who made the bead, it joins an athlete or person during their challenge, and makes it way to a child undergoing cancer treatment as a source of inspiration and encouragement. Many people carrying Team BOC beads report that the act of carrying a bead during their race, event, or challenge inspires them to try harder and not give up! Connecting the caring of others with a courageous child, Team BOC is a random act of kindness in its purest form.

Program Summary

Goal	:	To decrease illness-related distress, increase the use of positive coping strategies, enable children to find meaning in illness, and restore sense of self in children coping with serious illness.
Need	:	Children undergoing cancer treatment can feel discouraged, sad, and lost during their cancer treatment.
Description	:	Designated medical professionals (nurses, clinical psychologists, child care specialists, etc.) are trained as bead Ambassadors who give colorful beads, each corresponding to a specific aspect of cancer treatment, to both in and out patients.
Program Leader	:	Mariko Kodera
Term	:	Ibaraki Children’s Hospital – October 2009 Osaka City General Hospital – May 2010 Tokyo Metropolitan Children’s Medical Center – Spring 2011 National Center for Child Health for Child Health and Development – Spring 2011 Sapporo Medical University Hospital – Spring 2011

Support the Shine On! Beads of Courage Program

Love our Shine On! Beads of Courage Program and want to support it? Select your desired amount below to make an automatic yearly payment via PayPal (can be cancelled any time prior to each payment date).

Inquiries

For any inquiries regarding this program, please do not contact the above-mentioned hospitals directly. Please first contact the Tyler Foundation via info@tylershineon.org.