Hannah, Guest Blogger, Part 2.

Before we get started, I forgot to post a link to 

Beads of Courage.

CLICK HERE

to get to the BOC Website!

Now, back to my guest blogger,

Hannah!

6) I've heard that each bead tells a story.  Is that true?

That is very true!!! At the beginning when I first started getting beads, I could tell you when I earned each one, now I know what they are all for (now I have so many, I forget some).  There are some stories that stand out.

-I have a large black courage bead for a IV placement while riding in an ambulance.  As it went in we hit a bump.

-I have a bead for the first time I walked.

-I can name what surgery each star is for

when an event is tramatic, like having your first sezure infront of your classmates at school.  I look back at it and see the flat pink bead I got, not the staires of arrogant teenagers.

7) What's it like being a teenager in Beads of Courage?

I cant imagine going through this journey without beads of courage.  I draw strength from my beads every day.  Without beads this journey would be a lot harder.  I now have someething to show for what ive been through instead of just my scars.

8) Have you met many other teens who participate in Beads of Courage?

Yes, but not in person.  I met jess through the beads of courage facebook page and we do talk a lot.

9) Do you have any special memories about Beads of Courage?

I love showing my beads to new doctors or nurses, it builds a very fast conection.  I also like showing them to kids at school, sometimes they can get frustrated that I miss a lot, but then I show them how many beads I got that day, and they get that I don't want to get beads, id rather be at school.

10)  Which is your favorite bead, or do you have one?

TOP TEN LIST!

10) Halloween bead - I LOVE Halloween.  A lot.  I put on this big event called "hannah's haunted path" it runs all Halloween night.  I ask for donations at the start and raised 40.08 for Beads of Courage.  This year I hope to break 100. 

9) school bead - I got to sick to go to school and had to switch to home school halve way through the year last year, so I have a bead for that.  Because it was a charter school, I could not return so I got antoher bead for when I started as a juinor at a new school.

8) RSD disagnosis bead - I just love it, it always calms me down

7) NEGU letter beads - NEVER EVER GIVE UP!

6) purple heart

5) space man - givin to me by friends

4) wingman

3) london beads

2) cat bead

1) gavin bead - carried by gavin DeGraw on dancing with the stars!!!!

11) Do you ever get embarrassed if people ask you about Beads of Courage?

No! never, I LOVE when people ask me about my beads!!!

Hannah, thank you so much for being my guest blogger!!!  

Remember to check out Hannah's blog HERE!

I can assure you that Hannah's blog is a refreshing change, and her blog shows her most positive attitude towards her "chronic bad luck" when having to deal with her illnesses.

Beads of Courage:  Click HERE!

Photography Credit goes to:  Lehmanade Photography.  I'm sorry, but I don't have any contact information for them, but if they provide it, I will edit this post and post it later.  

Hannah has also issued a Challenge to any and all bead makers reading this.  I am going to quote Hannah, because, unless you are a member of Lampworketc, you will not be able to read her post there about this challenge.  Hannah, just turned 17.  Her challenge is a birthday challenge for Beads of Courage!

"hi, my name is hannah. you have probably seen me around BOC related social media

i am a boc member, i have over 2500 beads!!! my 17th birthday is tomorrow!!!
on my blog, people have been messaging me as to how they can help me celebrate... I've been telling them to donate to boc. but i hear that Boc need bead donations

I LOVE earning courage beads, they make such a difference!!!

my parents and i came up with an idea to celebrate my birthday!

its a bead challenge!!! (i read many bead blogs and can see how much y'all love them)

17 beads
-anything pink
-cats
-pink cats
-london themed/ olyimpics
-sea linons
-other animals but mostly cats
-unicorns

take a picture before sending them to boc, post it here and i will send you a post card

i LOVE writing post cards... and I'm headed to london so there may be some london themed ones... "


As always, Hannah rises to the occasion!!  Thank you, Hanna!!!


I think if you contact Hannah on her blog, or in the comments here, that will count, too!!!

Meet My Guest Blogger! Hannah, Part 1.

Some of you might know her as

Hannah!

She's a BOC kid and she's an amazing teen!

Before I forget, here's a link to her blog.

CLICK HERE

to visit Hannah's blog.

Now, let's get started!

Questions!  Questions!  Questions!!

1) Hannah, tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a 16 year old Minnesotan that loves cats, unicorns and everything pink!  I live with my mom, dad and 12 year old sister in Roseville Minnesota.  Our family loves animals and we have a lot of pets, we have a family dog named turbo, liz has her 3 guiny pigs, a bunny and hre fat cat MeMe, I have the love of my life arnie and as a family we keep honey bees.

I am a beads of courage member currently fighting chronic bad luck.  I have epilepsy, a nerve disorder, GI issues, breathing issues, I had a tumor in my lefg, jaw issues, poor fine motor skills, and cysts in various places.  This past week doctors have run a battery of tests for a nerumuscular disorder that have come back "inconclusive". 

I am looking forward to a very exsiteing summer, full of trips!  I am headed to London to visit family and friends and to see the olymipics!!!!

2) How did you find out about Beads of Courage?

One of my PT buddies got them wile going through cancer treatment and always had them with him! (he has now earned his purple heart and is doing well :)    when I asked the child life department, they said it was only for oncology kids.  I looked into it futher and found that they have other programs and I now order what beads ive earaned every month and they come in the mail.

3) Do you have a lot of beads?

I do!!!! I have 2,321 beads!!!!  They all are very special to me!
*update, I now have over 2400!

4) How do you deal with chronic illness?

With humor, family, faith and music.
-At the doctor office last week, when getting test results I broke out singing
"doctor, doctor, give me the news"  daad broke out laughfing and the doctor did nothing!!!!  It was amazing!
-I have a very close knit family we have gone through this journey hand in hand.
-I LOVE my youth group and am looking forward to the ELCA youth gathering in New Orleans this summer
-if you walk into a lab and hear someone singing, I can almost arinty its me!  I sing through uncomfortable procedures (mostly needles).  Singing calms me down and distracts me.  I also play the tuba (my body hates me for it, but I love it!!!)  I play with my school band, Minnesota youth symphonies and the dobins dale city marching band.  My hope is to one day play in a tradtional ragtime jaz band (like tuba skinny, my favorite band :)

5) Is each bead special to you?

Every bead is special to me.  I love them all, it puts beautie were pain usualy is.  It's a way to communicate with others what I've gone through.  When I have to get one bead of a kind ive already earned I know I can do it again.  If I have to get a new kind of bead its something to look forward to.