Featured by Home-Start UK
Home-Start UK featured this piece about my volunteering with them on their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages:
‘Coraline was born with Down’s Syndrome and two holes in the heart. Doctors told mum Liz that she would need to have open heart surgery in due course and to prevent her mixing with others where she could pick up common viruses. For today's #FridayFocus Liz tells us her story:
“Our daughter was diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome at birth. We were also told she had two holes in her heart and would require open heart surgery, which she had when she was 15 months old. For those first 15 months, we had to keep her as well as possible and limit her exposure to viruses as they could have resulted in her needing to go into hospital for care.
This meant we couldn’t go to the usual mums and baby groups. My daughter just had me for stimulation. While I didn’t feel I needed emotional support at the time, I wanted my daughter to feel comfortable with others and have other influences. I also knew how much I would value some time for myself and that's where Home-Start came in.
I was matched with a volunteer from @homestartsutton.org.uk who visited us one a week. We had 2 volunteers in succession and both were wonderful. We always checked they were well before they visited and didn’t have a cold.
I really appreciated having time to get things done around the house, and also a chance to chat about how everything was going. Looking back, while I didn’t initially feel like I needed emotional support, by giving me this space every week, it definitely helped my own wellbeing.
Thankfully my daughter’s surgery went well. She was in and out of hospital within a week. Looking back over Coraline's first year, Home-Start was a massive part of our lives. I felt so supported by them.
Having experienced the impact Home-Start had on my family, I decided to become a #HomeStartVolunteer so that I can help other families. I’ve been matched to my family for a year now. I used to look forward to my volunteer’s visits each week, and the mother I visit says she feels the same about my visits. Home-Start really shows the power of unconditional support, love and kindness to each other, and the lasting feeling this gives to all concerned.”’