In honor of NICU Awareness Month, Hope for HIE’s Certified Child Life Specialist, Annie Gunning, shares a favorite book and simple, meaningful ways to help big brothers and sisters feel connected to a baby in the NICU. What is a Child Life Specialist? Child life specialists are experts in child development and family dynamics, helping them navigate the emotional and […]
Back-to-school season is here. This time of year can bring up a lot of big feelings, both for kids and for the parents supporting them. For many children with HIE, whether they’re entering the school system for the first time or coming back after a long summer break, new routines, new environments, and new expectations can feel like a lot […]
This month, we opened the floor to the questions we hear most often from our community, the ones that come up again and again in messages, comments, and one-on-one calls. Annie Gunning, Hope for HIE’s Child Life Specialist and Grief Counselor, spent 20+ years working in a hospital child life department before bringing that same expertise into her role with […]
Simple Summer Activities That Support Emotional Expression, Coping, and Connection Summer doesn’t have to only include structured therapy or carefully planned interventions to be healing. Sometimes, the most powerful coping tool available to your child is already in their backyard — a bucket of water, a box of sidewalk chalk, or a pile of blocks. In this month’s Child Life […]
Many children in the HIE community undergo surgical procedures — sometimes several over the course of their lives. And yet, for most families, anesthesia can feel overwhelming or like a mystery. What exactly happens before, during, and after surgery? Who is on the team? And how do you prepare a child with HIE for what’s coming? In our recently streamed […]
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