Beads over of cords

Hi, my name is August Maguire and I’m 18 years old. I went into my freshman year still in sports and art, doing things I loved. By the end of sophomore year my health really began taking a turn. Now, I am missing graduating on time, I lost sports, art, my social life, everything. I have multiple chronic illnesses I have been fighting my whole life. I had hoped to make it through high school and be able to be proud of myself and walk. I no longer attend school and am not enrolled at public school. I lost everything that made me, me. I had hoped to at least get a cord for graduation and at this point in time fear to not even graduate. I feel like all my life is, is being consumed with medical misery.

I had heard of Beads of courage before but never thought it was for people other than terminal patients. I felt I didn’t deserve the recognition because I was “only chronically ill”.

The thought of having something to show what I’ve been through would mean so much. I was supposed to be having my senior year in sports right now, instead I’m in infusions and hospitals. I thought I was going to have my cords or something to show what I had been through, what I fought through for. Now, I feel as if I have put so much in to just lose it all right before it mattered. I wish I could just have a tangible object of something proving I’m still strong even if it’s not with weights.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and your support. I wish you well and hope you have the love and community you deserve

“Right now, more than 1,000 brave children and teens are waiting for a sponsor like you to help them receive their beads—each one a symbol of their strength and resilience.

Your sponsorship becomes bead credit, allowing a child to choose and receive their own Beads of Courage, honoring every step of their journey.”