Surprise! The hospital I work at participates!

[Robinj]

In getting information on the new BOC "String of Strength" program for an upcoming event, I went to the BOC website to see if a nearby hospital participated to maybe get a speaker for the event. To my utter SHOCK, I found out that the hospital that I work at every single day started the program almost 7 months ago!

This is such a great program and a media person's dream! It's colorful, upbeat, heartwarming, extremely valuable, and involves children -- why on earth would they NOT promote the heck out of it?

I got in touch with the hospital's media relations person who had NO idea about the program. I pointed her to the BOC Director in the pediatric department and they met today. She has scheduled a press conference for next Thursday!

I guess my point is, contact your local hospital and ask if you can visit to see the program in action. Explain that you are a local artist -- the director was really excited and had no idea there were any glass artists anywhere in the area. Ask if they've had local coverage about the program and suggest that they run the idea by their media person.

My hospital's BOC director not only arranged for me to tour the department and find out about the program first hand, she also scheduled our meeting for a day when I could meet one of the program's participants -- who is apparently very excited to meet me and is bringing all of her beads! I don't know who's more excited to meet who! There has been a flurry of emails going back and forth between the BOC Director, me, and the media relations person for a couple of days now.

[Denielle]

Hi Robin, I just saw your article in the Flint Journal. I have my first batch of beads ready to go to BOC and I'm excited to think that they might end up right back in Genesee County!:waving:

[Robinj]

Hi Denielle,

It's exciting to know that Hurley participates. With only 2 hospitals in the state in BOC there are so many kids who aren't able to be involved!

Please post a pic before you send your beads out. Hurley's BOC director would love to see them!

It was nice of the Flint Journal to post my age a few times. :???:

[Eileen]

That makes the program all the more "real" to me somehow. Tell us all about meeting the participant.

[Denielle]

Here is a pic of what I am sending out this time. I thought I read in one of the BOC threads that you could request your beads sent to the hospital of your choice. I can't seem to find it right now, though.

Ya, I noticed your age in there... I always wondered if they asked first :roll:

I would like to hear about your meeting with the child, too!
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[LoriGreenberg]

Just put a little note in with your donations and we'll do our best to get your beads to your local hospitals!

[Robinj]

Those beads are GREAT Denielle!

Emma (the girl I met at the interview) is an inpatient now and will be going home tomorrow. I just got back from visiting (though she was wiped out from her most recent treatment and was sleeping). She had her beads on the nightstand right next to her bed.

I can't support charities with grand financial donations, but I can share a little of my time and talent to help a child fight for their life. Thanks, BOC, for giving me the opportunity! :wink:

[Robinj]

Here is a link to the news story that was on Channel 12. You can see and hear Emma here! http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=8137879 Here's a link to the Flint Journal article (though they didn't use Emma's photo) http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2011/06/hurley_medical_center_takes_pa.html.

Emma is an amazing girl -- so confident and well spoken. She's been through so much (as is evidenced by her 26' strand of beads!) but she's very positive. She was the "Ambassador" at our hospital's annual ball. She's awesome!

I met her little sister, Greta today. She's 10 and very polite, well spoken, and has an easy smile. She's a sweetie, though she was quick to point out that she's not "prissy". She's collecting beads too, though we don't have the sibling program here yet. I presented her with a fish bead made by Chris Dalrymple at the Cabin Retreat -- she was absolutely BEAMING and put it on right away! She said it would symbolize her time spent this weekend at the hospital with Emma because the Peds unit's theme is "Under the Sea" and she was happy that the fish was her favorite color -- blue!

[Denielle]

I can't seem to get that link to work. That poor girl has 26 FEET of beads?? That is so sad, hopefully her condition has improved. I will make sure my next batch has a note in it for Hurley, for sure!

[Robinj]

Yep, 26 feet of beads -- and we still owe her over 450 from her treatment before we started the program!

We are lucky enough to be on the "Beads in Space and Bead Design Challenge" tour in September -- we are the 10th and final stop on the national tour. I don't have all the details, but I believe we can have some lampwork artists attend. If you are interested, please pm me and I will keep you in the loop!

[Mustang Dawn]

Thanks for the Emma update Robin, I have her in my prayers. I look foward to seeing all the Beads in Space Beads in September! I can't believe they are coming this close to home :)

[Robinj]

Dawn,

I saw Emma and Gretta at Dairy Queen for the Children's Miracle Network Blizzard Day. Emma made our Blizzards (I'm such a giver, I had to get 2 :wink:)! She was having a blast and looks great!

I didn't get time to talk to her about the upcoming event, but she's sure going to be happy to meet you and see your bead from Beads in Space! She was an inpatient (and zonked out from treatment) when I finally met up with her to give her the cabin trader beads, so I had to explain to her mom that you'd given her a prototype of your spaceship.

[Mustang Dawn]

That is so good to hear, I am looking forward to meeting her in September :)