Here Hayley explains the background of the charity and why she felt compelled to work on bridging this massive gap in support:

“When Harry was just three days old a consultant gave us the devastating news that our baby boy  had suffered significant brain damage, caused by two strokes, and as a result of this damage would have very complex needs.

We was told to go home, take care of this fragile baby and see if he met any of his milestones.

Having just had our world’s turned upside down I assumed that we would be referred to someone for some kind of emotional support. The reality though was quite shocking: this kind of support was (and still isn’t available) leaving parents abandoned and isolated. The impact this had on my ability to cope was devastating and truly preventable if i was able to access the right support

Over the years we have became more accepting and stronger  but those first years was the most frightening, isolating and sad years of our lives and we desperately needed someone to talk to, who got it and who could provide us with coping mechanisms for the road ahead.

Sadly our experience is very common and the many stories i’ve heard from NHS professionals, SEND parents and care providers over the years has galvanised us into action. In 2022 we became an official registered charity.”

At Harry’s Pals we appreciate how hard it is physically, practically and emotionally to care for your severely ill or disabled child. 

It’s easy to put yourself amongst the bottom of the pile and put your needs last but we think it’s so counter intuitive – after all, how can you care for others when you are not functioning properly yourself.

We offer short breaks so that parents and their children (if they like) can have some much needed time out to make positive memories together. We also offer bespoke counselling and therapy services to help parents get through the emotional turmoil they will be facing and to find coping mechanisms for the road ahead.

Harry’s Pals also feel passionately about trying to inspire change by using past experiences to inspire change for disabled people and their careers. An example of a very successful campaign being Harry’s Pledge.. a nationwide social housing commitment to do more to support carers and disabled people living and working in social housing.