Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company has announced it’s entered a new partnership with Beads of Courage, a nonprofit organization that provides arts-in-medicine programs for young cancer patients, which will bring the program to seven children’s hospitals.
Through the Beads of Courage Program, children and teens receive colorful beads that visually commemorate treatment and procedure milestones they overcome while receiving treatment for cancer.
The program is currently offered at more than 150 children’s hospitals in the U.S. An estimated 5,000 children are expected to receive Beads of Courage annually during their treatment thanks to the Northwestern Mutual partnership.
“Childhood cancer treatment is an emotional roller coaster for the children and families involved, and keeping a child’s outlook positive is crucial to their outcome,” said Eric Christophersen, president of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation. “Beads of Courage has been incredibly successful in helping families move forward in their cancer journeys, and we’re thrilled to deepen our partnership with the organization.”
Northwestern Mutual’s partnership will activate the program at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Texas Children’s, Phoenix Children’s, Seattle Children’s, Hoops Family Children’s, St. Louis Children’s and Peyton Manning Children’s. The company is also sponsoring 1,400 Beads of Courage Sibling Program kits to support siblings that have a brother or sister coping with cancer and provide workshops for children, families, and clinicians in select children’s hospitals across the U.S.
Northwestern Mutual’s partnership will also support the development of a new Beads of Courage Bead Strong Program that includes art directives and mindfulness for children in active treatment for cancer to minimize stress and anxiety during long hospitalizations.
