Franciscan Health Cancer Center Munster pilots Journey Beads project
MUNSTER – Franciscan Health Cancer Center Munster is offering patients a new way to celebrate the milestones in their cancer journeys, one bead at a time.
The Journey Beads project provides newly diagnosed patients with a small satchel containing a cancer ribbon, a blessed St. Francis of Assisi medallion and a card with information on the project. The ribbon can be worn as a bracelet, attached to a key chain, hung from a car mirror or used however the patient likes.
Each time the patient reaches a milestone in their treatment, they can pick a glass bead or a charm from a jar to celebrate their victory.
The project, which began Oct. 1, was the brainchild of Robyn Caban, a licensed clinical social worker in the oncology department at the Cancer Center. The jars containing glass beads and various charms are located in the medical oncology, radiation, infusion and cardio-oncology offices.
“The patients who have received them are just grateful and excited to start it off,” she said. “When you’re first diagnosed and get a treatment plan, it can seem long and overwhelming, but when you’re able to mark each milestone off as a celebration, it can help lessen that load a bit.”
There are a variety of colored beads representing different types of cancers as well as charms representing visits with Franciscan staff, including bird charms for patients who visit Caban or attend her support groups.
“I always tell them to remember my name like the bird, Robyn and if they meet with me, they get a journey bead,” she said.
While the beads are intended to represent a variety of milestones and cancer types, Caban said patients are encouraged to choose whatever color bead or charm that suits them. She has added charms in the jars representing hobbies and careers as well as spiritual charms like crosses and angels.
“The idea is really to celebrate those seemingly small milestones in whatever way they’d like,” she said. “This journey means different things for different people.”
Caban said she got the idea from children’s hospitals that do something similar for their young patients with yarn bracelets and plastic beads. For the adult cancer patients, she wanted to provide ribbons, glass beads and higher quality charms to make the project better suit that demographic.
Caban said the Journey Beads project has been well received by patients thus far.
“Your journey doesn’t end when your treatment ends and we want them to have a reminder not only of how far they’ve come but that we are here for them every step of the way,” she said. “I just want them to be proud of what they’ve been through. No matter your journey, it isn’t easy, but every milestone is worth celebrating and this is just a small reminder of that.”
Franciscan Health Cancer Center Munster is located at 701 Superior Ave. For more information, call (219) 922-4095.
Caption: The Journey Beads project was the brainchild of Robyn L. Caban, a licensed clinical social worker in the oncology department at the Franciscan Health Cancer Center Munster.