IDEAS Parent Match

The IDEAS (Isodicentric 15 Exchange, Advocacy & Support) Parent Match program provides support to our families during difficult situations that may require emotional support. We hope to decrease family stress and feelings of isolation by providing this service to our families. This confidential service is available to any IDEAS family.

• Has your child been recently diagnosed with a duplication of chromosome 15q?
• Are you going through a challenging time in your child’s life, such as the onset of seizures, difficult new behaviors, or problems with education or therapy?
• Would you like to talk to another parent of a child with your child’s exact same diagnosis?
• Do you have limited or no access to the internet so you cannot take advantage of the IDEAS message boards?
  

What if you could get matched with a mentor who not only understood your child’s diagnosis first hand, but also had a lot of experience raising a child with this disability? Someone who was willing to listen to your grief, fears, hopes, and questions, and share their experience with you?

Families can phone or email the coordinator of the program to request a parent match. Our coordinator will ask you some questions and fill out an intake form that will help find an appropriate match in our database of mentors. The mentors are parents of a child with a duplication of chromosome 15, who have participated in the IDEAS mentor orientation and have met all of the mentor requirements. The mentors know what it is like to feel isolated and distraught during tough times, and they are here to help! All requests and information are kept confidential.

Once a potential match has been identified, the family can expect a phone call from a mentor parent within 48 hours. If the match is not a good fit, then the family or mentor can relay this information and our coordinator will find an alternate mentor. It is our hope, based on extensive background information on our mentors, that an appropriate match will be made from the start. Our main goal is to provide a supportive service to the family in need, and we will do what we can to meet that goal.

If you are interested in participating in this program, either as a mentor or as a family seeking a mentor, or have further questions about the program, please feel free to contact our coordinator anytime.

IDEAS Parent Match Coordinator:
Kadi Luchsinger
1-888-64-IDEAS
info@idic15.org

Last updated: Jan, 07, 2008