Sammy fought brain cancer for 541 days. This strand of beads represents his battle, his Beads of Courage. Damon Cole of Heroes & Cops Against Childhood Cancer is standing at the end of Sammy's strand of beads, for perspective. His strand holds nearly 1,900 beads. Each one a moment where he was brave, he was courageous, he was strong. Each a moment he fought for life. Some represent joys in his journey, like the silver origami crane which marks his Make-A-Wish America being granted. Or the bead for his discharge after 245 nights in the hospital. Or the bead for his 6th birthday, a birthday we weren't sure he would celebrate. Or the glass hot dog bead we picked for his first Arizona Diamondbacks game after 8 months hospitalized. Or the bead for the first time he laughed after brain surgery. For each joyous moment, there are so many more that represent moments of true strength during his struggle. Moments of pain, moments no child should endure. From his first bead, a magenta bead for his ER visit on October 19, 2016. To his last bead, a butterfly for the moment he flew to heaven on April 12, 2018. 541 days, each moment marked by a bead.
60 white beads, each one for a chemotherapy drug given.
5 glass stars represent each surgery, the first being a 10 hour brain surgery.
253 yellow beads, one for every night spent at Phoenix Children's Hospital.
47 red beads for each time he received a life saving blood or platelet transfusion.
48 pink beads, showing each time he was put under anesthesia.
453 rainbow beads, one for every therapy session he endured.
29 dark blue, for each visit to the outpatient clinic.
5 face beads, for the three times he lost his hair and the two times it grew back.
28 round spotted, each for a day of proton radiation to his brain and spine.
282 purple, one for everyday he got IV infusions.
114 black, one for every needle stick/poke he endured.
These are just a handful of the numbers, the moments. This is Sammy's story, one bead at a time.
5 glass stars represent each surgery, the first being a 10 hour brain surgery.
253 yellow beads, one for every night spent at Phoenix Children's Hospital.
47 red beads for each time he received a life saving blood or platelet transfusion.
48 pink beads, showing each time he was put under anesthesia.
453 rainbow beads, one for every therapy session he endured.
29 dark blue, for each visit to the outpatient clinic.
5 face beads, for the three times he lost his hair and the two times it grew back.
28 round spotted, each for a day of proton radiation to his brain and spine.
282 purple, one for everyday he got IV infusions.
114 black, one for every needle stick/poke he endured.
These are just a handful of the numbers, the moments. This is Sammy's story, one bead at a time.
