OUR MISSION
Hand to Hold® provides personalized support before, during and after a NICU stay to help ensure all NICU families thrive.
WHAT WE DO
Since 2010 Hand to Hold has provided powerful support for NICU families. Our caring and experienced team of NICU graduate and bereaved parents are trained as certified Peer Support Specialists through the state of Texas. These Family Support Specialists use their personal and professional experiences to ensure all Hand to Hold programs and services work for our NICU families, at every step in the journey.
OUR STORY
“I don’t ever want another NICU parent to feel alone like I felt.”
Alone is exactly how Hand to Hold founder Kelli Kelley felt after she delivered her son, Jackson, at 24 weeks, weighing just one pound, eight ounces. Her baby was alone, fighting for his life in the NICU. Her husband was alone, fielding overwhelming information from doctors and nurses. And she was alone in her room, recovering from an emergency C-section and wondering if her baby would survive.
Despite being surrounded by friends and family, Kelli lacked the support she craved – someone to hold her hand through the difficult road of being in the NICU and bringing home a medically-fragile child. It was this need that inspired Kelli to start Hand to Hold and has helped shape our mission and values.
Our Values
Belonging
We foster safe and caring spaces for healing. We cultivate a community of empathy, honor each unique journey and prioritize peer support.
Compassion
We recognize the heartache, grief and trauma NICU families experience and meet them where they are with grace and acceptance.
Equity
We commit to fairness and impartiality in all that we do. We must be well-informed and inclusive of all perspectives to meet diverse needs with accessible, comprehensive support.
Integrity
We are trustworthy, honest, reliable, authentic and accountable. We commit to holding ourselves and our partners to the highest of standards.
Bold
We are thought leaders and change makers. We embrace vulnerability and engage in courageous conversations.
Growth
We are always learning, developing innovative programs and evolving strategies to champion a world where all NICU families thrive.
Hand to Hold is an active member of the National Perinatal Association and its Family Advocacy Network. We are a founding member of the Preemie Parent Alliance and active in the National Coalition for Infant Health. For information on speaking opportunities, visit our newsroom.
Hand to Hold is a nonprofit 501(c)3 parent support organization, and information and resources provided here do not intend to take the place of the relationship between a patient and personal physician.
