Hypoxic-Ischaemic Encephalopathy (HIE) is where there’s a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain. The condition can cause injury to the brain in some cases.
Peeps are a charity committed to supporting families of those affected by HIE. We’re proud to support the charity with regular fundraising, and our medical negligence partner Jennifer Cawthorne is also Peeps’ chair of trustees. We had a chat with Sarah Land, co-founder and manager of Peeps, to find out more.
When was Peeps set up and why?
Peeps was set up in 2018 by me, Sarah Land, and my husband Steve, after our daughter experienced an HIE event shortly after birth. We felt that there was a gap in terms of dedicated support, and wanted to try and help others who might find themselves in a similar situation.
What services do Peeps provide?
Peeps offers emotional, practical and financial support to anyone touched by HIE. We’re also involved in research projects around HIE, to help make sure that the parent voice is heard.
How do you support parents and families?
It really varies. Each family can be so different.
We have things like our parent packs, for families in neonatal care at the start of their journey. We also offer an equipment fund, up to £500, for items that wouldn’t be available on the NHS for example – and we’re proud that this isn’t means-tested.
We arrange and fund counselling and trauma therapy, and run online groups and peer support. We also signpost to other groups and support that may be beneficial to our families.
The list goes on. We’re always looking for new ways to help and reach more families.
Tell us about your activity for HIE Awareness Day this year.
The HIE Awareness Day was great. There was lots of activity for our #HeardOfHIE campaign, with people sharing their stories, joining our online coffee morning, getting involved at work, and growing sunflowers. We even had a pier and a bridge lit up in yellow to show support.
It’s really important for us to make sure as many people as possible have heard of HIE, and that we can reach families who may need support. Thanks to everyone for playing their part – we hope to go even bigger next year.
How has the pandemic affected the charity?
We were worried at the start of the pandemic that we might not survive as a charity. Everything we did had to be online; we weren’t able to hold any events or fundraisers, for example, and face-to-face counselling sessions weren’t possible.
Thankfully, though, we did get through. And in a way, we were actually able to reach more families with online support, without any geographical restrictions.
What impact has the pandemic had on those you support?
We’ve found that the pandemic has had a significant impact on our families, as it has with so many people. A lot have been shielding clinically vulnerable children, and trying to juggle work and home-schooling, maybe without usual carers or help from family and friends.
Of course, for those who’ve had babies during the pandemic, the restrictions on access to hospitals and the usual support networks has made the experience even more difficult.
How do donations help the charity?
We couldn’t function without them. We rely on the generosity of our supporters to run the charity. Every single penny donated is carefully used, and it’s heart-warming to see when people want to give back to Peeps in some way. We appreciate just how many worthwhile charities there are out there, so if someone chooses Peeps, it really does mean a lot.
What are your future plans for Peeps?
Our plans are to keep growing and reaching more families. We’re always looking at new ways of doing things, understanding that families have different needs and experiences. We want to be able to support in any way we can.
We’d love Peeps to become a well-known charity, so that people can say they have heard of HIE, and know where to turn if they ever need support.
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