Capturing the Impact - Young At Heart

This week’s blog features Wesleyan 's Community and Citizenship Manager Jacob Ayre 's visit to Young at Heart, who received an £8900 community grant from the Wesleyan Foundation.

Young at Heart are a small volunteer lead registered charity which offer help and support to families of babies and children diagnosed with heart defects.

Children and their families with heart defects have spent many weeks/months in hospital undergoing and recovering from major heart surgery. Some children have had numerous operations throughout their short lives. Sadly, some do not survive and for others their only hope is a heart transplant.

Jacob and Foundation Panel member Nicola Pledger met with 3 trustees of Young At Heart - Claire, Emma and Jess - and some of their children who also have heart defects and are home schooled. Claire explained that everyone who works for Young at Heart is a volunteer who has had a family member with a heart defect with the majority being parents. Diverse support is also offered to ensure individuals have access to assistance whenever they require it.

Jacob shares his experience below.

“Young at Heart is one of the most inspiring charities I have visited; run by volunteers who are mainly Mums who have their own children with heart defects. These women make a huge difference to families who are facing shock and confusion at being told their child has a heart defect. I was amazed by the team’s energy and dedication, as they support families whilst dealing with their own situation.

Young at Heart know what families are going through and provide them with much needed help, support, and a place where they can come together and share experiences and not feel isolated.”

Wesleyan Foundation’s funding provided 30 INR (International Normalised Ratio) machines which have been donated to families in need. A portable INR machine is essential for children on Warfarin, a medication preventing blood clots and maintaining blood thinness. This device gauges blood thickness, facilitating accurate Warfarin administration. As the NHS doesn't supply INR machines, families without one must daily travel to hospitals for medication. Wesleyan's contribution enables 30 children to safely administer medication at home, eliminating daily hospital visits. Families undergo nurse training on INR machine usage before receiving their donated device from Young at Heart.

One of the families which has benefitted from the INR machine has a child who is on Warfarin and currently on the heart transplant said:

“For us this has been such a blessing. To be able to give medication in the comfort of your home is great. With no drivers in the family the constant trips to hospital for the INR machine, were so tiring, time consuming and costly. We are so grateful for the support from Young at Heart.”

Young at Heart plays a vital role in conducting routine ward visits to the Heart Unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Families with children diagnosed with or anticipated to have a heart defect are referred to Young at Heart, and the organisation offers support sessions on the ward. Specialised assistance is provided for families undergoing the Fontan procedure, designed for children born with half a heart.

This procedure enhances heart and oxygen functionality with a single valve, significantly extending life expectancy by up to 30 years. Jess said that being able to talk to someone who has child who has come through the other side of heart surgery can be really comforting, as they can help to alleviate all the questions that are going through someone’s mind and understand the realities of what is involved with the recovery.

On top of the Ward support, Young at Heart also provide telephone support line, parents social forum groups on social media, peer support groups, events for families, as well as 1:1 support meeting at hospital or in the community.

As children can spend a lot of time out of school with surgery and recovering from it, one of Young at Heart’s priorities is to bring the families together at social events, where they can meet with other families, share experiences and the children make new friends.

Emma said that the children love these social events, they have been through a lot and enjoy being with other children who also have `special hearts’. This year’s events have included a trip to Legoland and Drayton Manor, with up to 80 families accessing these events. Claire said that unfortunately as Young at Heart is growing it’s now becoming difficult for them to organise events that can accommodate all families, this year’s Christmas party has been fully booked with 80 families attending with a waiting list for other families to join.

As part of our visit we arranged for Wesleyan to provide some Educational Winter Gifts for children who access Young at Heart’s services in the community or are currently at the hospital. These were wrapped by our colleagues and delivered to Young at Heart in time for Christmas.

It was an inspiration to meet with the Young at Heart Team and their children. They are providing such a meaningful support package for families in Birmingham, all on a voluntary basis.

If you are looking for a charity to support this winter, or want to know more about Young at Heart please go to: https://www.youngatheart.org.uk/