Pregnancy is a gift and babies are nothing short of miraculous. When asked which of countless accomplishments they are most proud of, the most influential and historical leaders overwhelming point to their children. While the experience of becoming parents for many includes “It’s a Girl” cigars and nervous excitement from driving their bundle of joy home shortly after birth, some are not so fortunate.
If you are a parent whose plans for the future suddenly shifted to NICU intervention for the present, we invite you to join the Hand to Hold community. We are parents of preemies, parents of children with health challenges and parents who have suffered a loss. We’ve counted A’s and B’s, we’ve celebrated successful feedings and we’ve suffered common setbacks along the way. Everyone’s journey is unique, but the emotional roller coaster is similar. We provide support when you need it the most and provide opportunities to help others when you are ready.
Do You Need Support?
Request a Helping Hand Match
The cornerstone of the Helping Hand support program is our peer-to-peer matching service. You will be matched with a trained volunteer whose NICU experience most closely matches yours based on gestational age and other factors. The relationship you establish with your peer can be online, by phone or in person. Peer support is also available for parents who have suffered a loss.
Connect to programs to help healthy siblings
Hand to Hold launched in spring 2011 a sibling support program to assist families who have healthy siblings with a brother or sister in the hospital or with special needs.
Access an online resource directory
Search a growing interactive directory of resources of helpful websites, organizations and health care providers to help you better care for yourself and your child.
Tap into a growing online repository of information for parents just like you
Hand to Hold prepares a monthly e-newsletter with helpful articles on relevant topics to assist you with advocating for your child, upcoming events and opportunities to connect with other parents. A biannual print newsletter is sent to supporters and placed for parents in areas NICUs and medical clinics. In addition, as you explore HandtoHold.org, you’ll find that the site offers several blogs, helpful articles, prematurity in the news, family stories and blogs, videos of past quarterly discussion series, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hear from the experts
Hand to Hold’s Quarterly Discussion Series features experts to empower parents and ensure that your children reach their full potential. Whether your child is still in the NICU or about to start kindergarten, these topics are valuable to you. Also available are monthly Lunch & Learn round table informal discussions held over the lunch hour to arm you with information and advice to help you better advocate for your child and your family. Learn more about providers through interviews designed to introduce you to all the many health care specialties available to meet your child and/or children’s needs.
You are not alone.
There is strength in numbers and some normalcy that stems from hearing from fellow parents. Sign up for our next parent social, a NICU support group or read some stories families have shared for the benefit of others. You can also find more at Helping Hand Highlights and within our list of family blogs. If you’d like to submit a story, contact us.
Your Experience is Valuable.
Become a Helping Hand
Bring additional value to your experience by mentoring fellow parents. Your support may be by email, phone or in person and the time commitment is left to your discretion. Join our volunteer list to request a volunteer role, and we can enroll you for the next training coming up.
Help us reach other parents
With the touch of a button you can help spread the news that families are no longer alone following a NICU or loss experience. With your help, we increasingly instill hope and provide vital resources to empower families to achieve health and stability. Please consider sharing information about Hand to Hold with your friends, family and health care providers. You can become a fan on Facebook and even post information about Hand to Hold on your personal Facebook page.
Share what you learned
Help us improve our online resource directory by recommending websites, books, health providers and other resources that have been helpful to you.
Give financial resources to serve more parents
Donations of any size will be thoughtfully applied to further the mission of Hand to Hold. Contributions may be made simply in the spirit of giving, in honor of a loved one or in appreciation for a caregiver.
For a limited time lifetime recognition is available by joining the Founder’s Circle.
