In redacted form, below please find an important email my sister in law, G, sent to me:
Good morning-
Some of you may already know, but a friend of mine from highschool, J* and her 7 week old son G* passed away on December 19th. J* suffered in silence from severe post partum psychosis which resulted in her taking her son's and her own life. I am sending this email to all of you in hopes of spreading the awareness of Postpartum disorders.
Countless cases go untreated and in many instances the mother doesn't seek help for the fear that her thoughts and feelings will mean negative consequences. No one knew that J* was suffering after the birth of her son; she was able to hide it from her husband, parents, twin sister, and friends, which is why I believe this disease is so terrible. It can be prevented and treated, but it needs to be recognized and talked about.
Most of us know someone having a baby, planning to have a baby, or recently had a baby. Please take time to read/educate yourself on the various levels of postpartum depression (see below links) so that you can share this information with your friends and loved ones in a proactive manner. This has been a horrific tragedy that all family and friends continue to try to make sense of since Dec. 19th.
J*was one of those people that everyone absolutely loved, whether you knew her for 5 minutes or a lifetime. She truly was one-of-a-kind and as the obituary reads, she was the epitome of all that was right in the world.
It is the wish of everyone already touched by this tragedy that anyone at risk of any form of a postpartum disorder would have the awareness, resources and help that they need:
http://www.postpartum.net/brief.html
http://womenshealth.gov/faq/postpartum.htm
1-800-PPD-MOMS
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