Bravery Hearts Bead Program

The Children’s Heart Center proudly participates in the national Bravery Hearts Bead Program.  This unique program allows our patients to collect beads to form a necklace that documents and honors their battle with congenital heart disease, enabling them to tell their story in a tangible, visual way.  The necklace becomes a precious keepsake that is viewed as a medal or badge of courage for patients and their families.

There is simply no easy way to describe the symbolic nature and power of the Bravery Hearts Bead program.

As congenital heart disease begins at birth, most parents begin their necklaces bearing their child’s name.   As they undergo difficult treatments, such as open heart surgery or cardiac catheterization, they receive special plastic or wooden beads, called Bravery Heart Beads, to commemorate these milestones.

Our Bravery Beads program is supported by private donations and also through a partnership with the national Bravery Hearts organization. A portion of the proceeds from purchases made on the Bravery Hearts website can be designated for our program by simply selecting Newark Beth Israel in the “donate proceeds to” box.

For more information about our program, contact the Alicia Erickson Zink, MSW, LCSW at 973-926-3500.

Click here to view the bead legend (1.50 MB PDF) and learn more about the meaning of each bead.

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