One of the most valuable things about being part of the Little Hearts Matter community is the lifelong friendships that are formed along the way. In June, LHM mum, Cat Hinchliffe, brought that community spirit to life by organising an informal regional family picnic in Surrey, giving local LHM families the opportunity to connect, share experiences and enjoy a day together.

Cat and her family have been part of the Little Hearts Matter community for the past 14 years. During that time, they have built lasting friendships with other families who truly understand the realities of raising a child with half a working heart. From weaning and starting school to sports days, school trips, GCSEs and work experience, those connections have provided invaluable support at every stage of the journey.

Reflecting on her family’s experience, Cat spoke about how reassuring it has been to have other heart families to turn to during important milestones.

“As we haven’t been able to meet up at an Open Day over the past couple of years, I wanted to do something to bring families together. This would allow us to hang out with our special heart friends but also give other families the opportunity to meet heart families like them.”

Cat explained that her daughters have grown up alongside other children and siblings connected through Little Hearts Matter, forming special friendships that have become an important part of their lives.

She also highlighted the encouragement she and her family have received from hearing older members of the LHM community share their experiences of university, employment and relationships, offering hope and inspiration for the future.

Cat says: “We also really loved hearing from the young adults in the youth panel talks who gave us hope for the future as they talked about university, work and relationships.”

The result was a wonderful summer picnic attended by 12 local families. On a beautifully sunny day, parents enjoyed catching up over cake while the children kept busy with basketball, swing ball and plenty of ice cream.

For some families, the picnic was particularly meaningful as it was their first opportunity to meet other children living with half a working heart. Being able to see their children connect with others who share similar experiences helped create a sense of belonging and understanding that is so important within the LHM community.

The event was a fantastic success, with families enjoying the opportunity to socialise, make new connections and strengthen existing friendships. Cat hopes to organise another gathering in the future and would love to welcome even more Surrey families next time.

“We all had a lovely time socialising, and I will definitely be arranging another get together in the future. There are many other families in Surrey who can hopefully join us next time.”

A huge thank you to Cat for taking the initiative to bring local families together and for helping to strengthen the connections that make the Little Hearts Matter community so special. 💙

If you are interested in volunteering for Little Hearts Matter and organising a local get-together for LHM families in your area, we’d love to hear from you!