Wyoming — West Elementary second-graders Siomara Campos and Ianayla Fox tied colorful pieces of yarn around each other’s necklaces as they shared compliments.
“I like your hair,” said Siomara.
“I like your outfit,” said Ianayla.
With each comment, they added a little bit of symbolic kindness. The girls’ necklaces were becoming more and more colorful as they bounced around the school gymnasium.
As they took part in the activity, Siomara and Ianyala looked at each other through red eyeglasses: plastic frames that represented seeing the world through the eyes of a 5-year-old girl named Audrey Louise Jandernoa.
‘Every one of these kids has a voice and can share a message and can be a leader, for zero dollars. They don’t need any resources except their big old hearts.’
— Kelly Jandernoa
Around them, hundreds of people at West Elementary — fellow students, teachers and staff members — wore the same frames, passing out kind words and smiles. They had just joined the Red Glasses Movement, which was launched following Audrey’s death seven years ago.
On a recent Friday morning, Audrey’s mom, Kelly Jandernoa of Grand Rapids, presented to students about the movement, which has spread all over the world, inspiring many with the mantra of “Live Boldly. Love Big. Pass it Along,” Jandernoa said.
Audrey was a “firecracker filled with love and joy, who gave crushing hugs,” her mother said. She had Down syndrome and was born with a heart defect.
With her signature red glasses, Audrey saw the good in everyone and inspired those around her to do the same, Jandernoa said.
The Movement Continues
When Audrey died, a friend of Jandernoa’s had the idea to give everyone at her funeral red glasses and ask them to love others in the way Audrey did.
“The very first day we shared 970 glasses at Audrey’s funeral. Since then we have shared over 55,000 red glasses all over the world,” she said, naming connections made in Europe, Africa, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Jamaica.
“It has been really exciting to see how people take it and share it with people they care about,” Jandernoa added. “It’s been really great to see the power of people, of humanity. You share a message, and people feel moved.
“Audrey started this little thing. We just didn’t want to stop her way of life when she went to heaven, and we said, ‘Let’s just try and share her message.’”
Jandernoa said the message she wants children to take with them is the power of their voices.
“Audrey was 5. She was just a kiddo, and all of these people have chosen to learn from her and tell her story and live differently because of her. Every one of these kids has a voice and can share a message and can be a leader, for zero dollars. They don’t need any resources except their big old hearts.”
Students continued their lesson in living boldly through activities following the presentation. In groups called dens, they wrote cards tied to the movement — adding messages inside about how to live boldly — and signed a banner.
“I feel like spreading her message is an honor and a happiness,” second-grader Ianyala said.
“People said so many nice things to me. It makes me feel good,” added first-grader Lorenzo Vidal.
Principal Brian Hartigan said a major focus of the school year has been about fostering character development and belonging.
“This is a natural, real-life story that started with a tragedy for the family, but they made it into something positive,” he said. “Students here have also been through a lot. … They learn from those experiences and grow. They all have their own stories.”
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