Who created these amulets?

		Reprinted from ToDo, Town 'Tell-All in New Hampshire ToDo, spring 2006. Written by Tom Eastman, editor-at-large, The Mountain Ear. Photographs courtesy of Tom Eastman.
Steve Eastman (L) and the late Stoney Morrell wearing amulets.

 

Hope. Courage. Faith. Strength. Believe. They are all powerful words, and they are having an effect in the lives of people in Mount Washington Valley battling cancer.

The story begins with Steve Eastman, 56, the founding editor of The Mountain Ear newspaper, a weekly paper based in Mount Washington Valley.

It also involves his friend, Stoney Morrell, president of Morrell Family Attractions, operators of Story Land and Heritage NH.

They share a sense of community values, as well as a common foe - cancer. Yet their determination and spirit is shining through in how they confront the disease, and how they are hoping to help others battling cancer.

After Steve was diagnosed with cancer last July, his sister, Susie Eastman Walton, a jewelry maker in Boulder, CO, created several beautiful amulets for her brother to wear while he fights cancer. She also made one for every member of the family.

Steve loved the idea so much that he asked his brother, Tom, to connect him with Jen's Friends, a local nonprofit organization in North Conway named after the late Jen Hill, a young woman who lost her battle with brain cancer. When she was diagnosed, Jen had told her friends that it was okay to use her name to help others when they had offered to help her. An annual Climb Against Cancer is held every September up Mount Cranmore to raise funds for Jen's Friends Cancer Foundation.

Steve Eastman then asked Stoney Morrell, who is also battling cancer, to donate the seed money for the first 200 pendants so they could donate them to Jen's Friends as a fundraiser. Stoney said, "Yes!" and the rest is history, as they kicked off the campaign this past September at the annual Climb Against Cancer.

April 07 updates: Stoney Morrell lost his battle with cancer in the October 2006.

Over 800 amulets have been sold.

In 2006 Susie Eastman Walton took the amulet theme one step further, creating earrings with the same important messages. The sterling silver, pierced earrings are on silver loops and bear one of the same five words inscribed on the amulets. Customers may choose to have the same word on both earrings, or a different word on each.