A truly inspiring example of the power of the human spirit is the story of Sadako Susaki. Sadako was two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on her hometown of Hiroshima. In 1955, at the age of eleven, Sadako was diagnosed with the atom bomb disease - Leukemia. Sadako’s best friend told her that there is an old Japanese legend which states that anyone who folds one thousand paper cranes would be granted a wish. Sadako began folding origami cranes with the wish to be healthy again. Her drive and determination so inspired her schoolmates that when Sadako died on October 25, 1955, her schoolmates began a project to build a monument to Sadako and all the children of Japan who were killed by the atomic bomb. School children throughout Japan and nine other countries got involved and helped raise funds for the project.

In 1958, the city of Hiroshima unveiled the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima Peace Park. This “Tower of a Thousand Cranes” has the children’s wish inscribed in its stone pedestal: “This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in this world”. Today, people all over the world support this call for peace by folding one thousand paper cranes and sending them to Sadako’s statue in Hiroshima Peace Park.

Everyone can contribute to our goal of folding 1000 paper cranes for Jackie’s speedy and complete recovery. Instructions on how to fold an origami crane can be found here: