While I was in New Plymouth for the Dunkley's Great New Zealand Craft Show I was privileged to meet an amazing family.
Rory Gardiner was diagnosed with two cancerous brain tumors when he was 7 years old in March 2009, and since then he and his family have been fighting for his life. He is currently in remission, but will not be considered "safe" until March 2014.
Rory's mother, Leigh, has kept a faithful record of their journey on Rory's website.
During the course of his illness, Rory has amassed an amazing 800+ Beads of Courage!
I urge you to visit there and to read their incredible story.
So to Rory, Leigh, Sean and Sam, I salute you.
You are heroes!
6 comments:
My heart goes out to Rory, I send prayers his remission will continue and that he may savour life's riches.
Ok now the beads of courage. I didnt understand before. People buy them from you, and send to a child who is ill? Somehow I thought you were donating them to the different children.
speaking of beads, I received the chakra bracelet yesterday and i love it. am wearing it right now. thank you so much. my arm gleams. will do a post on it soon. and will add a note about your beads of courage too.
I usually begin each day on the torch by making a bead for the Beads of Courage programme, and I donate them. Most of the beads that the children receive are machine made, but when they go through an especially traumatic proceedure they are given a special bead.
Oh, I'm glad that your bracelet has arrived and is OK - knowing that you understand its nuance makes it rather special for me too!
Thanks Suki!
I think it is great that you do this. Just wish that we lived in a world where children did not get cancer and there were no beads of courage. 800 beads for one child is just incredible, long may Rory wear that purple bead and need no others.
Les, what an amazing story. I am so touched you are doing this and that NZ has such a wonderful program for these children. Do you know if it is international? I am going to search. Rory is an amazing young man with an amazing family! You are an amazing woman, but I already knew that! Thank you so much for doing this for the children of NZ!
Hi Kim. This is an international programme set up originally by a woman called Lori Dixon Greenburg in Tuscon Arizona. One amazingly energetic and committed woman!
Each country runs its own programme through its Child Cancer Foundation in conjunction with the medical staff.
It's a fabulous programme and a privilege to be involved.
I looked it up after I commented here. It looks like NZ has the most activity. There are some hospitals here which participate (National Children's near me), but I was surprised to see so few. I can understand how it would be a privilege to be involved in it!
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