Rachael and her son made this special sign for you — because they know how important you are in their journey. Thank you for making sure this mom had the support she needed and is not alone.
In Times of Darkness
Your gift helped Rachael find counseling
Rachael remembers waking up every morning and crying before she even opened her eyes because she was alive and didn’t want to be. Facing the pandemic isolation alone, could have put her right back where she started. But your generosity made the difference – she had the support she needed.
During her pregnancy, Rachael was barely able to get to and from her desk at work, due to hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. Instead of imagining a baby in her belly, all she could see was darkness – a black hole in her womb.
After birth, the depression worsened. “I didn’t want to hurt my baby, but yet part of me wanted to throw him out the window because he cried all the time.”
At five days postpartum, Rachael planned to kill herself. “I didn’t want to leave, but I had a whole plan.” She began pumping milk so she could have enough in the freezer to run away from the overwhelming weight of hopelessness that she knew would never end. “My baby and my husband deserved a mom and a wife who didn’t have these issues.”
Because of your generosity, Rachael found The Motherhood Collective (TMC). After confiding in her counselor that she had become physically abusive with her son, Rachael was diagnosed with a Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorder (PMAD) and encouraged to attend a free support group – which only exists with your support. It was there she found hope.
“I will be fine – even if things are hard, it will be ok. I am allowed to hope. Because of The Motherhood Collective, I know my life is beautiful and worth living.”
She met women who validated her experiences and freely shared their own struggles. “I felt my jaw drop. For the first time I didn’t feel alone. I was able to tell them about how I’d hurt my son, the creatures I was seeing, the voices I was hearing, and the darkness I couldn’t escape. That meeting alone changed everything.”
Now, in this global pandemic, you made sure Rachael has a lifeline. She can rely heavily on her TMC support group — virtually. Within minutes of “posting” she receives encouragement assuring her that she is heard, loved, and not invisible in this time of isolation.
Thanks to you, Rachael had the courage to keep going. Your gift ensures she gets the human connection she needs. Right now there are so many women who need to find support during this time of isolation. Because of you, a lifeline of support and resources is ready to help a mom through this crisis.
Learn more about The Motherhood Collective program at HumanKind by visiting here.
