The story behind the Serenity Sky Collection, and the 25th Anniversary Bracelet, created for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum Store.

Twenty-five years ago this week, the world changed. For those who lived through September 11th — and for the thousands who continue to live with its aftermath — the anniversary is not a headline. It's a reality carried every day.

The Serenity Sky Collection exists because of one of those stories.

Anne-Marie Principe is a 9/11 survivor. In the years following the attacks, she developed serious illness from exposure to toxic dust near the World Trade Center — an experience that reshaped the course of her life. Rather than let that experience recede into the past, she turned it into advocacy. Today, as President of Affinity Healthcare Advocates Inc., Anne-Marie works to advance healthcare access, awareness, and treatment for 9/11 survivors and responders — a community whose medical needs, a quarter-century later, are still very much present and still deserve attention.

The idea for the Serenity Sky Collection came from Anne-Marie. She envisioned a piece that could hold this story — one that offered a sense of calm, remembrance, and continuity for the survivor and responder community, and for everyone who carries September 11th with them. Beth Ward Studios was honored to be entrusted with bringing that vision to life: developing the design, the palette, and the craftsmanship behind the collection, and giving it the name it carries today.

The Serenity Sky bracelet, available through the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, has become part of how the Museum supports its mission and honors those affected. This year, to mark the 25th anniversary, the collection welcomes a new piece: the Serenity Sky 25th Anniversary Bracelet, featuring a silver charm engraved with the lower Manhattan skyline and the words "Never Forget," strung among matte sea glass beads.

As this milestone anniversary is observed, we're grateful — to Anne-Marie for trusting us with something this personal, to the Museum for the partnership, and to everyone doing the ongoing work of supporting this community. It's a privilege to have played even a small part in it.

The Serenity Sky Collection continues to grow. More pieces are in development, each one carrying the same intention Anne-Marie set out with from the beginning — and we look forward to sharing them as they take shape.

The Serenity Sky Collection, including the new 25th Anniversary Bracelet, is available through the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. In their store and online. To learn more about the work of Affinity Healthcare Advocates Inc., visit https://www.aha-us.org/

Serenity Sky: A Collection Inspired by Survival, Honoring 25 Years Since 9/11