Why do we have an HIE Awareness Day?

Why do we have an HIE Awareness Day?

The majority of HIE parents or carers had not heard of HIE before they were affected by it.  The same can be said for their families and friends.  Many adults who had an HIE event and their parents, remain unaware that what happened to them has a name. 

This can make an HIE event extremely frightening in the short term, and very isolating longer term.  Parents and carers may not know where to turn, how to move on or how this will impact their lives. 

A big part of having an Awareness Day for HIE is to provide a space for the people touched by HIE to be themselves by sharing their experiences (the good and challenging) – even if that is by sharing information or the experience of someone else who has been through a similar situation. 

It helps empower HIE families to communicate to others what HIE is, how it can/ has impacted all those touched by it.  It’s an opportunity to stand together and ask the wider world for understanding, compassion, empathy, equality, equity, representation and inclusion. 

It is also a day to show how incredible our HIEroes are and how proud we are of them – Every.Single.Day.