How We Started Warrior Scar Jewelry
Christopher and Holly Gage are sharing Christopher’s story of survival from his devastating burn accident by creating what we are calling Warrior Scar Jewelry. The idea came when Christopher was well enough for Holly to replicate a portion of his scars to make him a Warrior Scar Pendant. Artfully capturing his scars in silver, the process was painless. It cast his scars in a new light, telling the story of his experience of beating incredible odds while honoring his journey in a crafted jewelry piece, thoughtfully inscribed on the reverse with words from Holly’s heart. How empowering!
The idea of the Warrior Scar Jewelry coincided with the need for us to pay it forward for the immense amount of kindness sent our direction by doctors, nurses, family, and friends. That led us to volunteer at Camp Susquehanna. This wonderful camp is where burn survivors ages six to sixteen can come for support and understanding. Held annually in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, the camp runs for four days and nights each June. Part of the camp’s philosophy and goals are to provide children with burns a safe place for healing. Also, it is a place where they can share their feelings about difficult experiences, even if for the first time.
Our goal at camp was to relay a positive message about the children’s scars and to help them fundamentally change how they see them. Anyone surviving a traumatic injury is quite the warrior. They have extraordinary bravery, resilience, and their scars have a story to be told.
The most amazing things happened during class with the younger kids ages six through twelve. They paired up to talk about the subject of their scars. There were genuine growth moments, as they touched them and shared stories. These rare moments were priceless gems bringing incredible cathartic energy to the room. While looking at the various scars, emphasis was placed on the topography and height of the scar – the more the better to create a deeper impression in the finished jewelry. Of course, this points to the scars they personally think are the worse, yet they got excited about finding “better” candidates for their jewelry.
Once the project was completed at the end of camp, what came next was another one of those experiences we will never forget. The children started showing everyone the Warrior Scar Jewelry they made, not just those in the workshop but also everyone throughout the camp. They would hold up the jewelry right next to the scar and compare. Some would even say, “Touch the jewelry, now touch the scar, look they are the same.” There was so much excitement in that “ah-ha” moment. There was such an overwhelming feeling of amazement as the children leaped from fear to pride, maybe even a paradigm shift, in how they see their scars. Perhaps they found an additional level of bravery in the moments they could now share with others.
We hope to share these very personal creations with the burn community specifically as well as the trauma community to help people tell their story with hope, strength, and pride. Christopher and Holly through the Warrior Scar Jewelry program, plan to travel more and teach others how to make their own scar jewelry as therapeutic activities.