At Tiny Tickers our message for heart parents is always “you are not alone.”
The ability to speak to others going through or who have been through a similar situation is often a very valuable source of support for a lot of heart parents of babies and children with CHD.
Tiny Tickers offers free, virtual peer support sessions and groups for heart parents, parents-to-be and carers.
“Taking part in the parent-to-be virtual support group gave us huge levels of support before our baby was born. After our diagnosis, it provided a platform for us to meet other parents experiencing the same worries and emotions, reminding us we were not alone. We are all still in regular contact and continue to support each other through our children’s surgery and aftercare.”
Emma
Pregnancy CHD Peer Support Group
Our six week parent-to-be support groups are led by Abbie Mitchell, a qualified peer support facilitator and heart mum.
Meet other heart parents-to-be through this supportive online six week group:
- Support each other from diagnosis and appointments right through to birth
- Discuss what you might expect when your baby is in hospital/undergoing treatment
- A chance to talk through some of the practicalities of preparing for a baby with CHD
“Being part of the virtual support groups has been a fantastic opportunity and an invaluable support tool. It enabled me to talk to other parents who completely understand, that are facing similar experiences and challenges to us on a daily basis. We were lucky to be supported by a lovely, empathic and caring facilitator, who always encouraged a safe environment for us to talk about difficult experiences. We’ve built a great support network of friends from the group, and now have our own Whatsapp group, where we keep in touch and support each other as needed. I think any parent of a child with CHD should have the opportunity to access peer support groups from the outset of diagnosis. I feel this would have been of great help to me when we had a diagnosis of CHD during our pregnancy. Thank you Tiny Tickers for the opportunity and support.”
Peer support sessions
We also hold monthly peer support groups for heart parents and grandparents, led by a qualified facilitator.
These include sessions for bereaved heart parents, heart parents with children under or over the age of two, and heart grandparents.
Watch new heart parents, Georgia and Nathan, as they share their experience of joining a peer support session for the first time.
Sign up to join
Our online peer support sessions and groups have been made possible thanks to National Lottery players.
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