Jean Hill leads the Belfast Heart Family Group, providing community and support for local heart families.
Please tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.
My name is Jean Hill, and I’m a Heart Mum who lives in Dundonald. I’m married to Dennis and have two lovely daughters, Camryn (24) and Rachael (15), who were born with a heart condition and have had multiple open-heart surgeries. I work as a classroom assistant at a local high school. I enjoy playing netball, dance fit classes and, best of all, open water swimming in my spare time!
How long have you been volunteering with Children’s Heartbeat Trust, what do you do as a volunteer, and why did you decide to?
I’ve been in this role for over 15 years since Rachael (15) was born. It’s lovely to see how much the Heart Kids, their parents, and the amazing siblings (who are part of this journey whether they like it or not!!) have progressed, moving from preschool to primary school and then secondary school and attending formal. I enjoy volunteering for CHT as a local Heart Family Group Organiser for the Belfast area, creating an informal, relaxed setting for local Heart families to get to know each other and have a good laugh!
What do you enjoy about volunteering?
We all know congenital heart disease doesn’t discriminate, so I get to know a real ‘Dolly Mixture’ of families. Every journey is different, so it’s very rewarding to see how they progress from when they first came to the group. Like the rest of the CHT Family Support Groups, we try to offer families a safe place of support and encouragement to share their stories and struggles.
What has been your most memorable moment since getting involved with Children’s Heartbeat Trust?
I can’t pick just one moment! It’s very rewarding after each Saturday afternoon that we meet, watching everyone go home and knowing they’ve had fun.
