DI Moms' Run helps new mothers struggling with mental health

Annual event set for May 13 at MUSC Health Stadium

It is estimated that one in seven new moms will experience maternal mental illness. According to local nonprofit Postpartum Support Charleston (PSC), this means that more women will suffer from illnesses like postpartum depression (PPD), anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in one year than the combined number of new cases of leukemia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimers disease, lupus, tuberculosis and epilepsy in the U.S.

On Saturday, May 13, Mother’s Day weekend, PSC will host the 14th annual “Moms’ Run + Family Fun Day” at MUSC Health Stadium on Daniel Island.

According to their website, PSC is a volunteer-run organization dedicated to eradicating the stigma surrounding maternal mental illness, which includes psychosis during and after pregnancy, to ensure that all women who suffer receive support. PSC offers free peer-to-peer support groups, educational programs, as well as grants to women who are unable to afford treatment.

“We want new mothers to know they don’t have to suffer and they are not alone,” says Holly Fisher, a board member of the organization and a postpartum depression survivor herself.

Fisher says events like the Moms’ Run not only raise funds, but can help raise awareness and promote education.

“PPD can happen anytime during the first year after childbirth,” she explains. “And many women do not realize it can also begin after struggles with breastfeeding or during hormonal shifts that occur with weaning. It’s important for families and communities to understand the illness as well.”

“Many moms have a sense of shame or guilt because they are unhappy during what they think is supposed to be a blissful time,” Fisher continues. “PSC encourages women to reach out and seek help as soon as possible if they feel something’s not right.”

“In my case, I had this beautiful baby and I’m thinking ‘What have I done?’ It was as though I was in a black hole.”

Families don’t always know where to go for help, adds Fisher.

“I think PSC provides a tremendous service in this way,” she says. “The volunteers at our organization make private phone calls. We have a private Facebook site. We give mothers a safe place…It took more than a year for me to feel I’d come out of the fog, even after I received treatment.”

For her, Fisher says, that treatment included medication, therapy and peer-led support groups. “It’s a treatable condition, but it also takes time.”

Today, Fisher is a happy, busy working mother to nine year old Kate. She says one of her passions is advocating for postpartum health and promoting events like the Moms’ Run.

The Moms’ Run - PSC’s largest fundraiser - is a 5K run/walk open to all ages, followed by free activities for families. Festivities begin at 7 a.m. while the race itself begins at 8 a.m. The course runs through Daniel Island and will end back at MUSC Health Stadium. The event’s “Family Fun Day” includes food and music, a jump castle, face painting, crafts, games and a post-race awards ceremony. The cost of all activities is included in race registration.

“Our race not only provides important funds for our work in the Charleston area, but also is a way for all of us to join together and raise up mothers in our community,” said PSC board president Elaine DeaKyne.

Registration for the Moms’ Run is currently open online at www.ppdsupport.org/events/momsrun. Participants may also register beginning at 7 a.m. on the day of the race.

Fees are as follows: $30 per adult; $35 per stroller (includes one adult and one child in the stroller: $5 for each additional child in stroller); $20 for children 10 and under. A $25 “support the cause” option is available for non-runners who would like a t-shirt and race bag.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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