About Hand in Hand

Hand in Hand provides practical and emotional support services to families affected by childhood cancer throughout Ireland.

Our History...

Hand in Hand was established in 2006 by a group of volunteers in Galway. They had helped a local family when their two-year-old girl received leukaemia treatment in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Dublin.

The founders’ main aim was to help other families with a child diagnosed with cancer in the West of Ireland; who have the added dimension of travelling long distances to Dublin for their primary care and treatment.

Today Hand in Hand work with families in every county throughout Ireland who are affected by childhood cancer.

In most cases, there are other siblings to care for in most cases while Mum, Dad or guardians travel to Dublin or to local hospitals to treat infections with their sick child.

Our focus has always been to give these children and their families on-the-ground support to minimise the impact that both the diagnosis and frequent long-distance travel for treatment has on family life.

These supports are free of charge and aim to alleviate some of the stress associated with a child’s cancer diagnosis.

Mission, Vision, & Values

Our Mission

The mission of Hand in Hand is to alleviate, as much as is possible, the stress and anxiety that is inherent with a diagnosis of childhood cancer. It provides a comprehensive range of practical and emotional support services to all affected families throughout their child’s treatment.

Our Vision

To see every family who has a child diagnosed with cancer provided a tailor-made package of practical and emotional support services that range from counselling, play therapy, complementary therapies, hot meals, laundry, and domestic cleaning.

Our Values

We value growth to enable our services to extend to all affected families and to increase the level and type of services offered. We highly value empowerment, providing the necessary support to empower families to cope with the diagnosis and treatment they face.

What We Do

Hand in Hand is there from the very start, looking after the ordinary while families deal with extraordinary circumstances. By partnering with local professional service providers for essential services, we aim to help alleviate some of the stress and anxiety accompanying a cancer diagnosis and treatment. We offer a range of support and assistance so that no family in Ireland has to face cancer alone.

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