Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Never did I imagine that I would be celebrating my 60^th birthday during a Pandemic and that my husband’s gift of travelling on the Rocky Mountaineer would have to be put on hold and that I wouldn’t be getting the kisses and  cuddles from my granddaughter. However, I had always planned to raise money for Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) rather than receive presents as this would be the greatest gift anybody could give me.  Now more than ever charities are desperate for funds that would normally arise from fund raising events that have had to be cancelled or postponed!

I suffered from Postpartum Psychosis (PP), which I can now freely talk about without the stigma attached that prevented me from disclosing what a nightmare this rare illness was for me and my family back in 1985!  The time which should have been the happiest of my life, ended up with me on a psychiatric ward, separated from my baby. Had I not agreed to go in voluntarily I would have been sectioned. I was severely unwell, and it was only at this point I understood that something was very wrong but didn’t know what.  

With only 1-2 women in a thousand developing this rare condition in the UK it was so difficult for my family to get support as health professionals had little experience and very few had even come across a patient suffering from PP.  It was pointed out to me recently that this is still the case after delivering “My Story” to health professionals at a multi-agency Perinatal & Infant Mental Health training programme. There are a number of volunteers like myself giving “lived experience” talks on training programmes on behalf of APP in order to assist in awareness of the symptoms that health professionals need to recognise  and be alerted to those at  “risk” of going on to develop PP.

Action on Postpartum Psychosis [ APP] has done so much good work to remove the stigma, educate the health professionals and to support woman including their partners. I believe there is still much to learn about Postpartum Psychosis. Much needed funds are required to help Action on Postpartum Psychosis [ APP] to continue to strive forward with researching into all aspect of this severe illness, which is classed as a medical emergency. APP are involved in education, training and provide peer supporters [which I am now one of] that benefit those suffering and APP also offer support for partners and their families. By raising awareness of this condition will help assist in the early intervention that is required to enable women to recover. Although there were no Mother and Baby Units (MBU) when I was poorly, I cannot believe that now in 2020 there are only 19 in the country, meaning that some families have to be separated or travel long distances to visit their loved ones in a MBU that may be miles away! 

My mother describes the whole episode as  “the worse experience of my life and at  86  I have experienced much; the death of my parents  and even when told your father was terminal ill and nursing him, nothing compares to watching your child go mad”   She then told me  that my father was in tears the day I was taken into hospital. On reflection, the speed of my PP was like a tornado hitting my world and I will be forever grateful to my family, thankful to being so lucky and fortunate that circumstances allowed me to get the speedy help enabling me to fully recover. 

Thanking you in advance