Tender Hearts, Inc.
Tender Hearts' mission is to assist and support medically fragile children and their families throughout the state of Delaware in order to create a better quality of life. They support children, families, local hospitals, and organizations through various programs, partnerships, and fundraisers.
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OUR PASSION
Putting smiles on children’s faces
OUR COMMITMENT
Assist and support medically-fragile children and their families through various programs, partnerships, and fundraisers.
OUR PROMISE
Treat each child with the utmost respect and caring and assist in any way we can.
HISTORY
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a medically complex child is defined as having chronic, multisystem health conditions, substantial healthcare needs, major functional limitations, and high resource use. In any given year, there are approximately 3 million medically complex children in the United States with Delaware being home to over 4,000 of them. Founded in 2014 by Debbie Doherty and her family, Tender Hearts, Inc. has been a resource for these families in Delaware and has built a solid reputation for providing a variety of services that meet the needs of medically complex children and their families.
Debbie herself was a medically complex child born with a hip displacement during a time when there was little to no research about or treatment for, these issues. Two of her siblings were born with spina bifida and both passed away much too early. As she got older, she went from having medical complexities to being the grandmother of medically fragile twins. Her personal experiences with medical complexities gave her first-hand knowledge of what’s available for families of medically complex children, or to put it more bluntly, what’s not.
Putting smiles on children’s faces
OUR COMMITMENT
Assist and support medically-fragile children and their families through various programs, partnerships, and fundraisers.
OUR PROMISE
Treat each child with the utmost respect and caring and assist in any way we can.
HISTORY
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a medically complex child is defined as having chronic, multisystem health conditions, substantial healthcare needs, major functional limitations, and high resource use. In any given year, there are approximately 3 million medically complex children in the United States with Delaware being home to over 4,000 of them. Founded in 2014 by Debbie Doherty and her family, Tender Hearts, Inc. has been a resource for these families in Delaware and has built a solid reputation for providing a variety of services that meet the needs of medically complex children and their families.
Debbie herself was a medically complex child born with a hip displacement during a time when there was little to no research about or treatment for, these issues. Two of her siblings were born with spina bifida and both passed away much too early. As she got older, she went from having medical complexities to being the grandmother of medically fragile twins. Her personal experiences with medical complexities gave her first-hand knowledge of what’s available for families of medically complex children, or to put it more bluntly, what’s not.
About Tender Hearts, Inc.
Mission: Tender Hearts' mission is to assist and support medically fragile children and their families throughout the state of Delaware in order to create a better quality of life. They support children, families, local hospitals, and organizations through various programs, partnerships, and fundraisers.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a medically complex child is defined as having chronic, multisystem health conditions, substantial healthcare needs, major functional limitations, and high resource use. In any given year, there are approximately 3 million medically complex children in the United States with Delaware being home to over 4,000 of them. Founded in 2014 by Debbie Doherty and her family, Tender Hearts, Inc. has been a resource for these families and has built a solid reputation for providing a variety of services that meet the needs of medically complex children and those who support them.
Through established partnerships with area hospitals & organizations such as Autism Delaware, Independent Prosthetics, Highmark, Easter Seals, & United Way of Delaware, Tender Hearts receives referrals of families who can benefit from the following services:
Through established partnerships with area hospitals & organizations such as Autism Delaware, Independent Prosthetics, Highmark, Easter Seals, & United Way of Delaware, Tender Hearts receives referrals of families who can benefit from the following services:
- Adopt-a-Family traditionally runs through the holiday season but is also operational all year long when a family is in need.
- Beads of Courage provides children an outlet to release any stress or anxiety. In the form of a beautiful, h&-crafted bracelet, beads of courage, are meant to be a source of distraction as children count the number of beads during medical visits. This has decreased anxiety & allowed visits to be more positive.
- Each year, many school-aged patients spend a significant amount of time out of school because of their diagnosis & treatment. The Buddy Bear Program provides a cuddly bear that wears a patient-designed shirt & has a backpack with any necessary information for the teacher & a journal. Buddy sits at the child’s desk as a reminder to their classmates that they are still a part of their school.
- In partnership with the Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Tender Hearts provides resources to support the Early Learning Success in Academics for Preschoolers (ESLA Program), that helps children continue to progress academically & relieves some of the stress of a lengthy hospital stay by providing a bit of educational normalcy. To support this program, Tender Hearts provides a backpack, workbooks, & needed supplies to each child.
- When a medically complex child reaches a critical juncture in their journey, Tender Hearts celebrates these moments through their Milestones Program. A birthday, completing treatment, & reaching a goal, have more meaning to families of medically complex children, & Tender Hearts provides families the opportunity to acknowledge & celebrate by providing a set amount of financial resources for presents & or a small celebration.
- The Mobility Program, which has seen an increase in requests, helps families acquire services, items, or assistive devices in order to positively impact the lives of their medically fragile child & help them be able to experience more of their world. Tender Hearts believes if a child is more social & able to be around others, it will increase the child’s lifeline & offer a better quality of life. Examples include remodeling bathrooms, widening doors & hallways within the home to accommodate a wheelchair, special mattresses that are easily cleaned & sanitized, prosthetic limbs so children can have better mobility, bed lifts, automatic stairway chair rails, wheelchair ramps, custom-built adaptive bikes, & outfitting cars with automatic features so driving can be done safely. The Mobility Program currently bridges the gap between what has been paid for & what still needs to be paid. The Board reviews all referrals & grants additional funds necessary to complete the family’s request. Tender Hearts then contacts one of their many established partnerships to put in a request for services in order to take care of each need. No funds are given directly to individuals or families. Payments are made directly to the vendor.
County Served: New Castle
Office Location(s): Wilmington
Sector: Disability Services; Family Services; Kids
