Family Focus
Family Focus
“Christian was born with a blood disorder and at first we thought our life would be debilitating but with HopeKids we’ve really been able to live a happy and normal life. Having the events open to Christian and his brother Ashton has really strengthened our family and created a bond. We’ve been able to experience all of these different things and grow as a family.”
– Tony, Christian’s dad
According to our most recent survey…
A child’s most valuable support network is a strong family unit but, sadly, all family members can be negatively impacted by a child’s illness. Siblings are often unintentionally overlooked as parents struggle to manage financial and medical concerns.
At HopeKids, our events and activities bring a family together when circumstances tend to pull them apart. Our events offer fun for all family members, allowing them to spend much needed time together, even parent date nights. All events are focused on the whole family and provide opportunities to look forward to the future. We help create memories during a time that brings situations our families might otherwise wish to forget.
Many experts agree that togetherness creates essential bonds as families navigate a child’s illness. As a result of their study published by the University of Michigan, Kyla Boyse, RN, Lina Boujaoude, MD, and Jennifer Laundy, MD, advised that when a child is chronically ill, “Maintaining your commitment to your family and getting support from each other is even more important! Spend time together that is not focused on the illness. [S]chedule family time, including one-on-one time for parents and parent-child ‘dates,’ as well as whole family activities.”2
2. 20 March 2013 http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/chronic.htm
