echo: personal story template

At echo we produce a wide range of materials to tell people about our work supporting heart families. We like to use personal stories, most of which include photographs and/or videos to enhance and illustrate our stories.

Our members regularly inform usthat reading about other family’s experiences helps them on their own personal journey. These stories offer reassurance and insight into what life can be like as the parent of a heart child.

Personal stories often include personal data (such as name and/or diagnosis where appropriate and consented to).

If you are interested in sharing your personal story with echo’s audiences then we ask you to complete the following information and email to

Please do not feel you need to be an accomplished writer to submit your story – we are eager to hear your honest experiences and we want to hear from all echo members.

Our intention is to keep stories for 5 years – following that we will contact families to check you are still happy with the story being shared or would prefer to update it. In addition, if you would like the story to be removed from public space at any time after you have provided it, we will ensure this happens.

Please note, no information or story will be published without being edited by the echo team – so the information you provide may be amended slightly. However, no story will be published until you approve it for publication.

Thank you again for your help.

Your details:

Parent/Carer name / Parent/Carer name
CHD Child’s Name / Sibling’s names
Address
Postcode
Telephone
Email
CHD Child’s DOB
ECHO member?

Please tick X where you are happy to share your personal story:

echo printed materials / echo teens materials
echo website / echo siblings materials
echo enews / Newspaper articles
echo facebook / Magazine articles
echo twitter / Radio interview
echo instagram / Television interview

We invite members to share as much of their personal story as they feel comfortable doing so. Situations you might discuss can include:

  • Coping following your child’s diagnosis
  • Your experience of attending the echo antenatal class
  • Your experiences in hospital
  • Your experiences during and following surgery
  • How you coped with travel/accommodation when your child was in hospital
  • Your experience recovering at home
  • Experiencing the loss of a child
  • Coping with supporting your other children
  • Ways you have been supported by others
  • Useful information/advice you think other people may benefit from hearing

As well as factual information, such as your child’s heart condition, readers want to know how you felt, how you were supported and any other useful information you feel is relevant.

Please provide your personal story here:
Please provide 3-5 photographs you are happy for echo to publish. Please list each photo here:
Signed
or type if emailed / Date

ECHO Registered Charity number 1146494. PO Box 597, Chatham, ME4 9DS