Jean Baruch, right, with her Ben's Bell. She was nominated by Erika Colombi, with her daughter, Adrienne.

Photo courtesy of Jeannette Maré-Packard

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The recipient of this week's Ben's Bell is Jean Baruch, who has helped thousands of pediatric cancer patients and their families through a charity she began called Beads of Courage.

Baruch was nominated by Erika Colombi, who said her friend — and her organization — are "really amazing."

"Her positivity and encouragement have helped thousands of terminally ill children across the country," Colombi wrote in her nomination. "Her non-profit work gives children hope and something positive to look forward to in their hardest days."

Baruch began Beads of Courage about four years ago, when she was working at University Medical Center as a pediatric oncology nurse. The doctoral student was studying the needs of children with cancer and found research that showed they needed help with the emotional aspects of their battles in addition to the medical care.

"There is protocol for how we treat children. This is what we do if they have leukemia, for example," she said. "But there was nothing to help with the psychosocial level, the emotional and social side of things."

That's when she thought of a program that would give beads to children to symbolize the chapters of their illness. For example, a red bead for a blood transfusion, a blue bead for a clinic visit or a white bead for a chemotherapy session.

The program was piloted at Phoenix Children's Hospital in 2003 and has spread to 35 hospitals across the nation now. It's gone to New Zealand, too. She estimates more than 5,000 children have been involved.

"The kids are encouraged to take them to school, to share them with their peers," Baruch said. "Their peers don't understand everything they've gone through, but when you have that collection it helps visualize it. We refer to it as a visual illness narrative, but it's also a symbol of their accomplishments. They have something tangible to show others what they've gone through.

"Most people don't understand that the average child will have 500 beads."

The program has expanded in other ways, too.

There's now a version for the siblings of cancer patients through which they'll get up to 25 beads to acknowledge that they're fighting a battle, too.

A pilot program for adults will begin at a hospital in Hawaii. Beads of Courage also provides supportive care workshops for families.

The types of beads have grown, too. For example, volunteers from the International Society of Glass Beadmakers send special, handmade beads that children receive for significant events. They also make purple, heart-shaped beads.

"A boy said in the original study that he felt like he'd gone to war, and if he had he'd get a Purple Heart," Baruch said. "So I wanted to incorporate that. We have volunteers individually package them, and inside is a note that says a Purple Heart is a military declaration of honor, and they deserve this kind of recognition, too."

Along the way, the program has grown from a family operation at Baruch's home to its own location, courtesy of the Kiwanis Club, which pays the rent. Volunteers from the University of Arizona student chapter, which is called the Circle K International club, have helped tremendously, she said.

Meanwhile, she's still working on her degree — she's had three babies during all this, too.

Colombi met Baruch in June, after she moved here from Idaho. She'd learned about Ben's Bells during an earlier visit and almost instantly thought of nominating her new friend.

"She's the kind of person who's really positive, always looking at the bright side and always has something good to say," Colombi said. "She's very funny, and her positivity is contagious. She's got three kids, she's getting her Ph.D. and she's running Beads of Courage. And she still manages to make cards for people and have parties for them and make dinner for everybody and come to your house and not act harried and crazy. She's really amazing."

How could the folks with the bells disagree? They surprised Baruch at her home Wednesday, with help from Colombi, who'd called and asked if they could get together for lunch.

"I opened the door expecting to see her, and there was Jeannette (Maré-Packard, Ben's mother) holding up the bell," Baruch said. "It was amazing."

"I've known about her work for years, since it started. And honestly just their motto, 'Believe in the power of kindness,' is one of those things that drives me," she said. "It was really an honor to finally meet her."

Not surprisingly, the pair began talking of working together in the future. And Baruch plans to hang her bell in the Beads of Courage office, a symbol of her own accomplishments.