Completing a difficult journey
FROM STAFF REPORTS Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

Submitted photo Right: Tristian, a newly diagnosed leukemia patient starts her Beaded Journey necklace with the help of Julie Eggen, a social worker at Nemours Children's Clinic.

Nationwide, 12,400 children and teens are newly diagnosed each year with cancer and start their journey to fight this disease. Nemours Children's Clinic of Pensacola has teamed with the Foundation for Children with Cancer (FCC) to implement the Beaded Journey Program for newly diagnosed children with cancer in the Northwest Florida community.

The Beaded Journey Program is designed to document and honor the journey children take as they deal with cancer. It is an opportunity for children to tell their story using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of the many steps taken throughout the course of treatment.

Children who receive cancer treatment and wish to participate in this program are initially given a length of cord strung with beads that spell their name. Each time a child has a procedure, such as chemotherapy, radiation, bone marrow biopsy, hair loss, surgery, or remission, a special bead will be given by their nurse or social worker to add to their special journey necklace. This program is meant to recognize the courage displayed by each young patient.

The beads, provided by FCC, give each child an outlet to tell their individual story; a visual and tactile memento to keep that represents their journey, and something fun for the child to look forward to when coming to Nemours Children's Clinic or Sacred Heart Children's Hospital for treatment.

"Nemours diagnoses and treats between 20 and 30 children with cancer each year. The Beaded Journey program will allow these children a chance to share their cancer treatment history with family and friends. As their beads increase, they can see their progress through treatment. It helps them cope as well as talk about their experiences," says Julie Eggen, a social worker at Nemours Children's Clinic.

This program will be important to children and their families in many different ways. Some examples are:

The start of the necklace can signify the beginning of their journey through cancer treatment.

It is an acknowledgement by staff to the parents and child that they are facing a battle one step at a time.

It is a way for the family to begin bonding with the staff. In some ways, it is giving a child a small prize and acknowledging how hard it is to come to get treatment.

It also gives them a visual of how far they are in treatment and getting a bead means they are one step closer to being finished.