My name is Hope and I was born premature 23 years ago. Hearing my parents’ stories of the amazing people who cared for both me and my family has inspired me from a very young age. At a time that must have been filled with uncertainty and worry, they have always spoken about the kindness, reassurance and support they received. One person in particular, the midwife who delivered me, is particularly special. After my parents had experienced recurrent miscarriages, when I was finally born, she called me their “one ray of hope”. Those words inspired my name, Hope.
She called me their 'one ray of hope'.
As I grew up, I became increasingly aware of how much that care had meant to my parents and how different their experience might have been without it. My own story made me curious about the experiences of other families who suddenly find themselves navigating the world of premature birth, often with little preparation and so many questions about their baby’s future. That curiosity eventually became the inspiration for my master’s degree research. I interviewed parents of preterm infants to explore their experiences of the information and support they received after having a premature baby. Specifically, we discussed the support they received to help them understand and support their child’s development and how prepared this made them feel. It was incredibly meaningful to hear their stories and to explore how families can be better supported during such an uncertain and emotional time.
My journey has come full circle.
From being my parents’ “one ray of hope” to researching how we can better support families of premature babies, my journey has come full circle. I hope that by listening to and sharing the experiences of families, we can continue to make sure that every parent feels informed, supported and hopeful during what can be one of the most difficult times of their lives. This year, I took on Bliss' 60 Miles in September Challenge to raise money for Bliss, and I’m so excited to be able to support this amazing charity which provides much needed support to families of preterm infants. It feels incredibly special to be able to give something back to the organisation supporting families going through experiences that are so close to my own story.
I really hope that little me would be proud of how far I’ve come.