Postpartum Progress Beacon of Hope: Helena Bradford

Today, Postpartum Progress is launching a new monthly feature called the "Postpartum Progress Beacon of Hope".  Each month, I will honor a worthy individual who invests his or her time and energy working to help women who are suffering or have suffered from postpartum mood disorders. The honoree will be someone who has been impacted by PPMD and has since chosen to let their light shine by educating and helping others.  And now (drumroll please) ... introducing the Postpartum Progress Beacon of Hope for February 2007:

Helena Bradford

Helena started the Ruth Rhoden Craven Foundation for Postpartum Depression Awareness in South Carolina after the needless death of her daughter Ruth on December 5, 1999, just two and a half months after the birth of Ruth's first child.  After learning about the illness that caused Ruth to end her life at age 33, and learning that it was totally treatable, Helena and two friends (Elaine Earl and Mary Anna Mullinax) created the foundation in March 2000 because they didn't want other families to suffer the same pain they have.  As a result of their work, there are now four PPD support groups in the state of South Carolina.  (There were none when Helena's daughter died.)  They also host an annual 5k walk/run every year in Charleston.  Among all of her accomplishments, Helena is most proud of the individual lives that have been saved and the families that have been given back their mom, wife, sister or aunt as a direct result of Ruth's death.  She says that helps take a little of the sting away from the intense pain of losing Ruth.  As for the future, Helena would like to see routine screening of all pregnant women for perinatal depression conducted once per trimester by ob/gyns, in addition to national screening of new moms for PPD soon after delivery.  She would also like to see birthing classes include more in-depth information about these illnesses -- symptoms, risk factors and where to find help should PPD surface.

Congratulations Helena, and thank you so much for shining a light on postpartum mood disorders!!!!!!

If you would like to nominate someone to be a Postpartum Progress Beacon of Hope, email me at stonecallis@msn.  Provide me with the person's name, contact information, and why you think they should be chosen as a Beacon of Hope.  Thanks.