Parents HemiChat was initially created in January 2011 in the form of a social media support group for parents of children living with Hemiplegia/Cerebral Palsy. This came about after Gillian Hayes’s son Luke was diagnosed at 10 months old with the condition for which there seemed to be very little information or support.
Due to feelings of isolation following the diagnosis, Gillian wanted to reach out to others for support and also raise awareness of the condition. A handful of parents in a similar situation then became united and started to build up a close community based on friendship and empathy. Children’s achievements and challenges were shared in confidence between members and before long a strong network of life experiences and peer to peer advice was formed.
Who knew then that a small acorn would grow into such a strong oak tree with many branches of Hemi families from all over the UK. From what started with a very small social group, HemiChat has now grown to nearly 1000 parent members!
With the dedication and support of many parent volunteers as well as our trustees we are simply delighted to announce that on 04/10/2012 HemiChat succeeded in its mission to become a registered charity! We will continue to unite families affected by Hemiplegia, enabling them to share support, information and life experiences thus allowing all children with Hemiplegia to know they are not alone in their life journey.