Medical professionals have a tremendous amount of influence when they deliver a Down syndrome Diagnosis to their patients, and the way they share that news with a new parent is critical. Hope Story helps medical professionals deliver a Down syndrome diagnosis with confidence, accuracy, and hope. In addition, we help move Down syndrome from the textbook to the hearts of medical professionals by helping them develop a personal relationship with a family raising a child with Down syndrome.
There are two challenges for today’s medical professionals when it comes to delivering a Down syndrome diagnosis.
1. Medical professionals don’t receive specific training on how to give seemingly difficult news to a parent
2. Most medical professionals do not have a personal relationship with anyone with Down syndrome. Therefore, they aren’t able to speak from experience about how a family raising a child with Down syndrome feel about their unique story. Spoiler alert: families raising children with Down syndrome aren’t sad about it. (Check out this study!)
How We Help
We solve these two challenges by equipping medical professionals to deliver a Down syndrome with accuracy and hope as well as help connect them to a family raising a child with Down syndrome.
Hope Advocates
One of the most valuable resources a medical professional can provide to their patients is a family on a similar journey as their patient. This parent can give a unique perspective, and offer encouragement and hope In ways that the medical professional can not.
One of our goals is to connect every OB/GYN in America to a family raising a child with Down syndrome. We call these parents "Hope Advocates." A Hope Advocate is a parent raising a child with Down syndrome who has access to ongoing training resources developed by our team of medical professionals and parents raising children with Down syndrome. They are uniquely equipped to have conversations with parents receiving a new Down syndrome diagnosis.
Check out this quick video to see how a Hope Advocate can be a life-changing resource to a medical professional’s patients.
Resources
We write, produce, and distribute free resources that are approved by a team of medical professionals (to ensure medical accuracy) as well as parents of children raising children with Down syndrome (to ensure that they bring hope and encouragement to new parents.)
Here Are a Few of Our Resources That We Provide to Medical Professionals
• How to Deliver a Down Syndrome Diagnosis with Hope & Preferred Language Pamphlet
• Medical Professional Dinner
• In-Office or Virtual Training for Staff
• The Hope Story Podcast
• Hope Stories: Encouragement & Answers for Parents of Children with Down Syndrome
• And our best resource - A Hope Advocate! (A parent who is raising a child with Down syndrome).
If you would like to receive any of our resources (for free) or learn more about having access to a Hope Advocate for your patients, please send us a message.
