Young Racer Carries Beads of Courage to Give Back to Peers

Callum Smith
(Photo by On Track Promotions) 

Callum Smith is turning heads with his talent as a Junior Shifter Kart Racer in the S5 series.  At just 14 years of age, he has achieved a perfect score so far in 2015, winning all the regional and national races in his class, including four regional series races and four national races.

And don’t mistake this type of racing for recreational go-karting.  Shifter karts are a challenge to drive and master, and many of today’s top drivers in NASCAR, IndyCar and F1 honed their skills in these powerful racing machines.

Succeeding as a racer is just one of the challenges Callum has faced with fierce determination.  At age 10, he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory disorder of the digestive tract that can have life-threatening complications.  

Synchronized Fireflies Inspire Winning Bead Design

Every year, Beads of Courage challenges children, siblings and caregivers in 10 hospitals and sites around the U.S. to design beads in our annual Design A Bead program.  Participants at each location are given a specific theme and are asked to draw a concept for a bead that symbolizes that theme.

For example, what would LOVE look like if it was a bead?  What about STRENGTH, LIFE, or PEACE?

The Design A Bead challenge culminates when the Top Design at each location is chosen and is turned into a real glass bead by a talented lampwork bead artist.  

Children and teens who are members of Beads of Courage are more than a little familiar with beads as symbols of courage, honor and hope.  The signature Beads of Courage arts-in-medicine program supports more than 60,000 children and teens coping with serious illness, providing colorful beads for every test, treatment and procedure they undergo.  The beads offer a tangible way for children to tell their unique stories of courage.