For Working Parents is our story and our mission to use our experience to support neurodiverse parents in the workplace.

Amit lost his mother to ovarian cancer, which was a traumatic journey, especially considering illness of any kind can be a taboo in certain cultures. The journey involved Amit watching as his mother slowly lost her battle, from chemotherapy and major surgery to the terminal diagnosis and eventual death.

Our daughter was then born prematurely in the peak of the COVID pandemic and at eight weeks, she was diagnosed with three holes in her heart. The pure, sweet joy of parenthood was quickly replaced by the terror of a life-threatening diagnosis. We felt lost, helpless, and scared. But the challenges didn’t stop there. 

Then, on Christmas Day 2020, our daughter’s condition suddenly took a turn for the worse. Having already had open heart surgery cancelled twice, she now had a sudden diaphragmatic hernia that required emergency surgery on Boxing Day.

It wasn’t until February 2021 that she finally had open heart surgery at Great Ormond Street to repair two of the holes. She spent three long days in intensive care, fighting for her life. The entire journey was fought against the backdrop of COVID restrictions with limitations in place on hospital access and support.

Thankfully, our daughter is now healthy and thriving. However, our experience made us realise that every parent needs support, not just during times of crisis but throughout every step of the parenting journey – which is long, bumpy, paved with the unexpected, but equally magnificent.

We were two of the lucky ones that benefitted from empathy, understanding and patience from our workplaces; therefore, we could only imagine how much worse such a circumstance could be for parents who must face the same level of pressure at work while dealing with something that is already overwhelming and emotionally exhausting.

Relatability and empathy motivated us to start For Working Parents. The idea evolved, but the core remained intact: all parents deserve access to the support and resources they need to navigate the ups and downs of parenthood.

It doesn’t exclusively boil down to adversity. We firmly believe that balance, order, rhythm, and harmony are more important than intensity when it comes to finding contentment in life – and modern parents should not be expected to sacrifice one area of their lives to succeed in the other. You can succeed in your chosen career and have a happy family life with the right support. 

As an adult, Amit finally pursued an ADHD diagnosis, having always believed he had the condition. Woefully misunderstood in our culture, when the diagnosis of ADHD, OCD and Anxiety Disorder finally came, it inspired Amit to do more to raise awareness of neurodiversity in the workplace, in parents and in minority communities.