From Inspiration to Salvationan update on Body Rocks Jewelry© by Deira Gerritsen; all rights reserved
I re-read that piece the other day and realized that not only was this company born from inspiration but it has now become a kind of salvation as well. I always used my business to give back. I never dreamed that the small bit of charity it provided would hit so close to home. One year into running my jewelry business I was really catching a wind. I had 9 retail stores who were steady clients, web sales were robust and I was in the process of negotiations with a national retailer of high end clothing and accessories to carry half a dozen designs in each of their 56 stores. That was July 2006. One month later my 5-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. All at once any plans that either I or my husband had faded and a full scale battle for our little boy's life ensued. I design jewelry to multi-task. I design for beauty but also for healing. There isn't a piece I make that doesn't have some kind of purpose to it. I began to wear various pieces to the hospital in order to get us through tests, to help me stay centered, even to provide a miracle here and there. I put it on like armour before entering the world of oncology. A funny thing began to happen. Every piece I wore created a reaction in people. Nurses, parents, people in the hospital lobby and cafeteria, the lady from the coffee shop - they'd all ask what I was wearing and where I got it. My jewelry seemed to resonate with people as if they could sense that there was something "more" in the piece than just eye candy. About 6 weeks into my son's treatment I had decided what to do with my company. I could not pursue the large scale negotiation with the retail chain, I couldn't even service the retail locations I had and I didn't have the stomach to design whimsical happy pieces for profit. I did, however, need a creative outlet. I also saw a need in parents for additional support from the hospital that additional funds could provide. I felt compelled to create something of beauty that could also help others just like us. It began with a bracelet that I called "Conquer Kid's Cancer" or "CKC" as it is now commonly called.  Deira's "Conquer Kid's Cancer" bracelet. I sold 650 of them and all profits went to Children's Hospital Boston, Family Resource Centre in the Hematology/Oncology ward. Families like ours could now get expensive parking paid for and other things that made their lives easier. My son went into remission and finished his treatment this past spring. We are still healing as a family and trying to make sense of what this has meant to our lives. One thing was certain, Pediatric Cancer was now a cause I wanted to champion. I wanted to raise money for research so that no child would have to suffer the way my little boy did. Research is the only way to cure cancer and there is a possibility that with enough advances, the 46 kids diagnosed each school day can be spared a horrible ordeal. This fall I teamed up with CureSearch, National Foundation for Childhood Cancer, and launched a new version of the CKC bracelet as well as the CKC necklace. The goal is to sell 1,000 pieces of each design. All profits will go to CureSearch and Children's Hospital Boston.  Deira's "Conquer Kid's Cancer" necklace. My company is now called "Deira Rocks" instead of "Body Rocks". It's long story and perhaps the subject of another article on choosing your business name carefully. In the midst of our trauma, a relentless and litigious lawyer and his wife from California sued for the name of "Body Rocks". I relinquished it although in fact I likely had a case to keep it - but fighting for my son's life was the battle I was engaged in. All things work for a reason. The new company name and visuals not only reflect who I am, but we have a purpose. We continue to design and produce jewelery that is beautiful to the eye and the soul, but we focus on raising money for research in childhood cancer. Perhaps one day, no child will suffer as my son did.
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