Having been diagnosed in April of 2007 with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, 15 year old.  Katie attended a jewelry class at Meant to Bead to occupy her time and tap into her artistic talents. She made herself a beautiful bracelet and earring set, with Cancer Awareness ribbons. She fondly named it her Cancer Survivor Bracelet. On the way home in the car that night from her class, she asked me if it would be okay to make bracelets like this for other kids in the hospital that were fighting cancer, just like she was. She wanted to find something that would make them smile and be happy, as she knew all too well how it felt to be undergoing chemotherapy treatments.  My first thought was, "Of course, that's a great idea!" and then I added that we would have to find a way to pay for the supplies for her project. The next week, while in the hospital for a treatment, Katie was passing the time beading, and making her grandmother(a cancer survivor) a bracelet as a gift. The nurses saw Katie's work, and asked if she could design a beaded lanyard to hold her hospital ID badge. It didn't take Katie long, and she had a plan. The next week when she went in for treatment, she took with her a handful of lanyards she had designed. Not only did she sell the ones she had made, but she came home from the hospital with 'special orders' for more. Lanyard sales became the means by which her bracelet project could be funded. Entrepreneur that she was, she started her own business and called it Bead Bling. As she sold more and more lanyards, she made more and more bracelets. With each hospital admission we would meet other children undergoing cancer treatment and give them a bracelet like the one Katie wore. Katie's message was that she was fighting a successful battle against cancer, and so could they. Katie wanted to give them hope, and she loved knowing it brought a smile to their day.  Katie reached remission early in her treatment, but by Fall the cancer was back, requiring a bone marrow transplant. Much of November and December was spent in the hospital preparing for transplant, but Katie simply saw it as an opportunity to make more jewelry. Before long, Katie had become known as the "Bead Girl" and nurses, doctors, technicians and staff from all over the hospital came looking for the girl who made the one-of-a-kind lanyards.  Everyone knew that proceeds from her lanyards were set aside for her bracelet project. It was a win/win situation, not only did they get a great lanyard, but they were helping bring smiles to kids who were fighting cancer.  In January, Katie wanted to launch a website to help market her lanyards.  The website, www.mybeadbling.com  is currently under construction, or maybe better said - renovation.  The Bone Marrow transplant required a 6 week stay in the hospital, followed up by months of isolation at home while her immune system was rebuilding.  Katie was well prepared with beading supplies for her long stay. In fact, prior to her admission to the hospital, she invited a few friends and family members over to what she fondly dubbed a BEAD BASH, to help her make lanyards. She knew they would be in high demand, once the word got out that she was inpatient for 6 weeks. The transplant was in February and it was deemed a great success, with preparations to go home ahead of schedule.  Sadly, complications arose which put Katie into the Pediatric Intensive Care
Unit. Within a matter of days, she was on life support and on April 9th, with great sorrow, we released her to spend eternity in heaven.  Since her death, we have chosen to further the cause that meant so much to our precious Katie. Beads of Hope seemed an appropriate name for her bracelet project, and we are prepared to deliver Katie's message of HOPE to the patients at American Family Children's Hospital in Madison, where she received treatments. Should the opportunity arise to take her message beyond AFCH, we would be thrilled. We feel it is a great honor to share Katie's story of personal courage, strength, as well as her desire to deliver hope and encouragement to others fighting similar battles.
We miss our Katie, but her memory lives on through the continuation of Beads Of Hope!!!