PARSIPPANY — People always say a dream can only go so far, but a vision is the one that grows. That is the definition of Hopeful Hands. What started as a simple idea grew into a student-led initiative that supports NICU parents through handmade care packages.
I am Joanna Mathew, a high school student and the founder of Hopeful Hands, a handmade care package initiative that serves and shares love with NICU parents.
Hopeful Hands has been active for just over a year. Over that time, the initiative has distributed more than 50 care packages, connected with NICU parents, built a team, and grown an online following. We also partnered with the maternal ward at Saint Clare’s Denville, and we recently crossed 1,000 followers on Instagram.
All this success is great, but it makes me want to go back to my roots — the “why” of Hopeful Hands. Why NICU parents? Why care packages? Why care at such a young age? This is the story behind Hopeful Hands.
I grew up hearing the same story over and over again. Every child has a birth story. Mine was a little different. Most birth stories sound something like, “You looked just like your mom the moment I laid eyes on you.” Mine was far from that. Mine goes more like this: “You used to wear your father’s wedding ring as a bangle,” and “the nurses and doctors weren’t sure you would survive.”
Looking back, I truly believe a miracle happened. I was born at about 24 weeks’ gestation. I spent almost four months in the NICU and had multiple health complications, including bronchitis. I relied on oxygen support for most of my time there, and it was my parents’ endless prayers and the amazing doctors, practitioners, and nurses who supported us that got me through.
Hopeful Hands is my way of giving back. The NICU is one of the scariest places for both a child and their parents — waking up every day just hoping and praying that your child will live, seeing a tiny, premature baby struggle. My parents experienced this firsthand, and it was the most emotionally difficult experience of their lives.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this essay, it all started as a dream. It was just an idea. I remember thinking, “It would be so impactful to start something like this.” For a while, it just stayed an idea, until I worked for it, and my dream became a reality. It was no longer a dream, but a working vision.
If this story resonated with you, I invite you to support Hopeful Hands as we continue to serve NICU families, whether through donations or by simply sharing our mission with the world. To learn more, follow us on Instagram or reach out to us by email at [email protected].
