Running to raise funds for post natal depression

At the end of June, I will be running 10km as part of the Wellington Marathon event. I am looking for the support of friends and family to help me raise money for post natal depression. I haven’t run 10km since before I got pregnant with Holly, so this will be a challenge for me.

I want to raise money for a charity called Little Shadow, formerly Post Natal Depression (PND) Wellington. Little Shadow is made up of an inspiring group of people that provide counselling and support to parents and families experiencing post natal depression/anxiety.

I am fundraising for this cause because I struggled with crippling anxiety after the birth of Holly. Though family, friends and my amazing husband Jamie were very present and extremely supportive, I often masked how I was really feeling by smiling and putting on a brave face. Behind this mask, my head was filled with fearful thoughts and a feeling of impending doom.

Luckily I found out about Little Shadow and I reached out to them for help. Counselling and medication has been a game changer for me and I now mostly feel back to normal and I am excited for the future.

Though it is hard for me to open up about my struggles, I want to help reduce the stigma associated with mental health battles like PND. There is still so much shame and secrecy about opening up and talking about mental illness. It saddens me that we don’t think twice about telling people if our back is stiff, or our leg is sore but opening up about aches and pains of the mind is still not the norm.

Please help me raise awareness by sharing this post and donating to Little Shadow through the give a little link below. My goal is to raise $1000 but every little bit counts and I am extremely grateful in advance for your generosity.