Peds Heme-Onc Hero Bead Program
Provided by Capital Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Alliance
at the American Family Children's Hospital
Hero Beads let kids and teens with cancer or blood disorders commemorate your personal treatment journey in the form of a simple, visible medical record. You will initially receive a cord with letter beads that spell out your first name, plus a Diagnosis bead and a bead representing the American Family Children’s Hospital. Every time you have a procedure or pass a particular milestone, a member of your medical team can give you a special bead to add to your cord of beads. Over time, Hero Beads provide a symbol of each patient’s personal journey, a touchable testament to strength and endurance.
Please talk to your nurse or Child Life specialist about the Hero Bead program. Patients who join the program in mid-treatment are welcome to obtain one or more cords and collect the beads they need to “catch up.” Patients who have already finished treatment or bereaved families may create a set by visiting the Capital Candlelighters office. Call 608-231-8006 to set up a time to come in.
Here’s the list of available beads, subject to change:
Procedure/Experience |
Bead |
Air Lift |
Helicopter Charm |
Biopsy Complete |
Orange-Yellow-Red Striped Sphere |
Birthday on Treatment |
Balloons Charm |
Blood Culture |
Red-Green Striped Glass Cylinder |
Blood Draw |
Red Metallic Ball |
Blood Transfusion |
Red Heart |
Bone Marrow Aspiration |
Brown & White Swirled Tubed |
Bone Marrow Transplant |
Spiked Rainbow Ball |
Cast |
White Tube bead |
Central Line Surgically In/Out |
'Courage' charm/Smiley Cube Bead |
Children's Hospital Bead |
White Porcelain Rectangle w/ Red Kids |
Course of Chemo |
Green Wooden Bead |
CT Scan |
Cat Bead |
Day Treatment |
Decorated Wood Oval |
Diagnosis |
Gold Childhood Cancer Ribbon |
Echocardiogram |
Purple Wooden Ball |
End of Treatment |
Boy or Girl Dangle Charm |
Finger Poke |
Pony Bead |
Hair Loss |
Smiling Wood Disc w/ bandanna |
ICU/PICU |
Greent Turtle |
IM Injection |
Green or Pink Wooden Smiley Bead |
Inpatient Admission |
Bear Bead |
IV Infusion |
Multicolor Glass Flower Bead |
Lumbar Puncture |
Light Blue Disc |
MRI |
Pastel Sun Bead |
Nuclear Med Scan |
Gold Ball |
Oral Med, new |
Butterfly Bead |
PET Scan |
Round Pet Bead |
Platelet Transfusion |
Gold Disc w/ Moon, Heart, Star |
Port Access/IV Placement |
Red Wooden Star w. Yellow Center |
Radiation |
Blue Porcelain Disc w/ Yellow Sunburst |
Relapse |
'Hope' Charm |
Remission, No Evidence of Disease |
Wooden Smiley Call |
Sedation |
Pastel Moon Bead |
Shunt Insertion |
Clear Tube |
Stem Cell Harvest |
Spotted Multicolor Glass Bead |
Surgery |
Blue Star |
Total Body Irradiation |
Green Glass Star |
TPC (IV Nutrition) |
Holstein Print Cylinder |
Travel Long Distance to Treatment |
Red Train Bead |
Ultrasound |
Blue & White Spotted Glass Cylinder |
X-Ray |
White Bone Bead |
Wish Trip |
Airplane |
WOW Bead (Special Accomplishment) |
Gold Glass Bead with Black Swirls, Blue & White Dots |
Years Off Treatment (1, 2, 3, etc.) |
Number Beads |
Safety Warning: To avoid possible choking or strangulation, beads should only be worn with adult supervision. Child should NOT wear beads in bed, while playing, on climbing equipment or while under sedation. Parents of children under age 4 should collect the beads on their child’s behalf and display the strand of beads on the wall or in another safe place.
