Beads of Courage UK Siblings Programme

Why do we need the Siblings Beads?

When a family gets the diagnosis that one of their children has cancer, their siblings very quickly feel like they have become less of a focus. This is often referred to as the forgotten child syndrome. 

The Beads of Courage Siblings Programme has been introduced to give those siblings the attention they deserve and remind them of their role within their family. They too are heroes in whichever way they chose to be part of their siblings’ cancer journey. They too want to have a purpose, know how they can have a positive effect on their sibling. These beads will support just that. Each bead represents a powerful animal, it draws comparisons between animals and aims. It gives the sibling the power to make a real difference. They are not forgotten about, but an important part of the families journeys together.

What do you get in a pack?

Every sibling has the right to one pack containing of 23 animals and their stories. One activity could be to focus on a different animal at a time and create activities around the topics, for example story times, art and crafts either on a 1:1 basis with a parent or shared with the sibling. As demonstrated by Isabel in the below video siblings, they can also collect the traditional beads with their brothers and sister to capture those special moments they shared together. Our aim is to get to every sibling in the country over the next year.