CULLMAN – On Wednesday, Jan. 27, East Elementary student Kaeden Dawson brought something very special to school – hundreds of colorful glass beads that were strung into multiple necklaces and hung around his neck. But the beads aren’t just any old beads; they are Beads of Courage, and Dawson earned every single one!
Dawson, a sixth-grader, continues his courageous fight against Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a malicious disease he was diagnosed with in June 2014. His bravery and strength have been rewarded throughout his battle with little colorful beads; and he wears his beads with pride, as do all members of the Beads of Courage program.
Beads of Courage is a resilience-based intervention designed to support and strengthen children and families who are coping with a serious illness. Through the program, children tell their story using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that commemorate milestones they have achieved along their unique treatment paths.
When doctors first diagnosed Dawson with AML, his prognosis was grim at best. Instead of going to school with his friends, he has been fighting for the past year and a half, kicking his illness along the way with the attitude and goal of proving those doctors wrong. When he was finally able to return to school in January, he brought his necklaces with him, and plenty of stories to tell!
“The black beads signify each time I was stuck with a needle,” he began. “The white beads stand for each time I received chemotherapy. I only have one of these magenta-colored beads; that one is for emergencies; I had to have an ambulance ride for that one,” he grimaced. “I spent two weeks unconscious in the ICU.
“This one with the face on it stands for hair growth, and these are for physical therapy,” he said as he pointed to rainbow-colored beads. “The red beads are for every blood product I ever had,” he grinned. “I had over 136 blood products.
“These aqua ones here are for NG tubes and chest tubes,” he continued. “NG tubes are not fun; neither are chest tubes. The doctors told me it wouldn’t hurt when they took it out, but they lied to me,” he chuckled.
“Yellow beads are for every night I spent in the hospital, and the orange ones are for the line removal/replacement; I can show you each spot where I’ve had one,” he said as he pointed to each of his scars.
When people see Dawson’s beads and understand just exactly what each one represents, they are both impressed and saddened at the same time. But when Dawson looks down at his beads, he feels like a mighty warrior!
“Needles don’t scare me anymore,” he said triumphantly.
“Every one of those beads represents something this incredible kid has been through,” said Dawson’s teacher, Beth Collins. “He has come back to school and hasn’t missed a beat. He’s been just a delight to all of us.”
“Through it all, he has never lost his smile. When seeing his necklaces and hearing his journey, I am humbled,” said Principal David Wiggins.
Even though he’s back in school, Dawson still has battles yet to fight in his quest to conquer AML.
“I still have to go to the hospital every week to have infusions to kill my B-cells because they are still making antibodies and they aren’t supposed to be,” he explained. “Depending on how I react to the infusions, it could last another four to five weeks.”
In times of trouble, most people ask, ‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’ or, ‘Why do children have to get sick and suffer so?’ In Kaeden’s case, looking back, those answers are pretty clear; he is an inspiration to everyone he meets. He’s a hero who has looked his illness in the eye and is working every day to make it go away. Through his suffering he has learned to be brave, and he takes that bravery and offers it to others who are facing similar struggles. Simply stated, he tells them, “Keep a positive attitude, anything is possible.”
