So very excited, delighted, happy, honored, thrilled, bowled over, giddy to tell you that Jenny's Light has become the FIRST EVER presenting sponsor for Postpartum Progress. (Look over there –> See their logo?) Wow. I still can't get over it.
From their press release, which came out just a little while ago:
Jenny’s Light, a national non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of perinatal mood disorders, is proud to announce its sponsorship of Postpartum Progress (www.postpartumprogress.com), a top-ranked Web resource for postpartum depression (PPD) and related disorders.
Founded in 2007, Jenny's Light’s mission is to improve and save lives by raising awareness of all perinatal mood disorders, such as PPD, through its national grant program, fundraising events, including a kid’s triathlon series, community outreach activities and its Web site that features educational resources and survivor stories.
“Postpartum Progress is one of the best sources out there for the latest news and discussion around the issue of PPD," said Randy Gibbs, executive director of Jenny’s Light. “Our missions align perfectly, and we hope our sponsorship will help the site continue its outreach and introduce our organization to their community.”
Needless to say, I'm just over the moon. The people at Jenny's Light are awesome and I have been in awe watching what they've created in a very short period of time. I would rather, of course, that they never had to form an organization in the first place. I would rather have Jenny here, as well as all the other women and children who have lost their lives to perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. I could find something else to do — maybe lounge singer? Yet here we are, and we won't quit until we've made our work unnecessary.
What is a presenting sponsor, you ask? Presenting sponsors are organizations who wish to support the larger mission of Postpartum Progress and to ensure its continued growth and ability to save lives, prevent unnecessary suffering and help families have a healthier start. These may be foundations devoted to women’s health, mental health or child development, as well as corporations wishing to align with the important message that perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are temporary and treatable with professional help.
Wanna be one? We have a WHOLE lot of work to do to make sure every mother has the information she needs, not just the ones who are lucky enough to live in cities with treatment programs (of which there are very few) or in metropolitan areas that have experienced specialists (of which there are very few).
You should also consider sponsoring some of the events put on by Jenny's Light. Or donating to PSIor any of the other amazing support organizations.Whatever you do, mothers need your help. Pitch in for healthy families.
Thank you so much, Jenny's Light, for supporting Postpartum Progress. I look foward to working with you. Together we can continue to ensure that new mothers won't feel alone and will know there is help.
Awww, I'm just so happy for you Katherine and for all who benefit from this wonderful site (myself included). This is awesome! Keep up the fantastic work.
That's so awesome! I love Jenny's Light and some of the folks who work behind the scenes are good friends (as I'm sure you know, they're headquartered in Mpls). Can't think of a better organization to be your first presenting sponsor!!
I am beyond excited to be partnered with you!! Your blog is the first thing I read in the morning!
Me too! Thanks Elizabeth!
thanks Liv!
Sorry, but didn't Jenny point-blank shoot her infant in the head before killing herself? If Jenny had survived, then I don't think the support, backing, and legacy would have continued with a romanticized spin on the event. In fact, had she survived, she would have faced a severe and harsh plight, through the justice penal system and/or a long stint in the looney bin. But where is the support and mention of women who have found themselves in these situations….there's no organization/foundation, fund-raising events. There's mention, out of people's fear and disgust, "Oh not ME, NEVER…not even at my worst." I think people fear the looney-bin portrayal most (think: Andrea Yates). In fact, we don't know what was going on with Jenny – she's dead and she can't speak for herself. Sure, there was a history to suggest that it was most likely PPP, but then look at the other women with similar histories (or worse)! They've been publically branded child-murders/sinners/psychotic psychos. Where's that labelling for Jenny? It's all lost in some romanticized "light." Is it that she, too, is dead, is that what it takes…to just kill yourself, rather than endure the permanent social scar on one's subconscious?
WOW. I truly hope that Katherine replies to this post. You seem to no get it. Jenny's Light was founded to help bring about awareness to all perinatal mood disorders, in hopes that nothing like what happened to Jenny ever happens again. A lot lead up to the end point, all of which went relatively undiagnosed.
The 'light' is used to create a non-threatening, non-judgmental environment. Most women would simply pass up this site if it read something like what you suggest.
I truly hope that you will educate yourself on this subject, so you don't spew anymore hateful words to those who are looking for help.
Actually Augusta, I feel the same way about Jenny as I do Andrea Yates. I speak up for Andrea all the time. My heart breaks equally for both of them. Neither received the care they deserved. One is gone, and one is in a mental institution and neither of those outcomes is good. Until we can properly identify and help women who are suffering so severely, and protect them from harming themselves or others, these things will still happen. In fact, they will sometimes, although rarely, happen anyway if someone is determined not to or unable to accept help.
I don't think Jenny's Light is romanticizing anything. From what I know, everyone who came in contact with Jennifer Gibbs Bankston loved her. She was well-liked and thought of highly. Her family understandably missed both her and Graham, and has turned their grief into an organization to help others and to honor the person she was before she was ill. No one has forgotten what happened, least likely, I imagine, them.
Augusta –
There IS an organization, actually, dedicated to supporting families who struggle with filicide and infanticide. It's the Filicide Education & Prevention Association. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm on the Advisory Council.
There is nothing romantic about filicide. There is nothing romantic about Postpartum Psychosis, filicide, infanticide, or suicide. Jenny's Light is not attempting to gloss over what happened. Instead, they are TALKING about it. They are not forgetting. They are opening doors and most importantly, removing the stigma from families struggling with the same issues. On their website, they do not shy away from what happened with Jenny and Graham. At all. It's the heart of their mission.
Clearly, you have no idea the courage and strength it takes to turn such a horrifying tragedy into something as powerful as the Gibbs have managed to do with Jenny's Light.
I also think you are missing the point here – women who struggle with PPP often do not speak up because of the stigma associated with the very acts to which it may lead. Jenny's Light has turned that stigma on it's head and I pray they continue to do so for a very long time.
Women and children should not have to suffer alone or die because of mental illness or distress because they are afraid of what society may think of them. Instead, they need to feel safe and comfortable in knowing they can reach out for help without judgment, without gaining that "permanent social scar on one's subconscious." I am heartbroken that the only way out these days is harsh judgment by one's peers or death. Such extreme choices need to have a compassionate middle option – but alas, thanks to stigma, there is not.
Because of Katherine, myself, the folks over at Jenny's Light as well as at Filicide Education & Prevention Association, and many many other women who are now bravely speaking up about our experiences, stigma is slowly fading. As it recedes at an increasingly faster rate, I hope more women bravely seek help before it is too late for themselves and for their families.
Warmest,
Lauren
Thanks for bringing the Filicide Education and Prevention Association to light Lauren, and for all you do to fight stigma day after day.
Augusta,
Poor Jenny didn't live to be labeled. And there's no way to tell whether her family would have responded with the same generous spirit and pro-activity should she have, but my guess is that it is their love of her, and not a romanticizing of a terrible tragedy and the illness that likely led to it, were the motivators and they would have responded to any tragedy in their family similarly, to diminish the stigma around it and spread awareness and hope.
As Katherine, Lauren and so many others repeatedly mention, we wish that there weren't a need for organizations like Jenny's Light and PSI. Just like I am sure that women walking the 3-Day wish there wasn't a need for the pink ribbon. But, since there is, we will pool our resources, plug along, work to complement the work that others are doing and stretch our arms wide, hoping to reach every woman in this country and beyond, and her family. Our way to strive towards that is for us to spend countless hours, days, months and years offering hope, education, support and love to women who are suffering.
I am the President and Founder of the Filicide Education and Prevention Association. Our website is http://www.filicidepa.org and two of my top goals are proactive outreach to encourage parents to ask for help and accept support and destigmatization of mothers and fathers who struggle with parenting. Regarding labels, I find a way to educate the media when misinformation is put out there about filicide and give kudos when a story is well done. There was misinformation on a morning show today that I'm already addressing. I've decided to do a webinar to educate the public about the media and filicide because this is an ongoing problem. When negative labels are routinely applied to mothers on such a large scale, it only pushes those who are struggling further into isolation and away from support. I hope you will visit our website for a comprehensive review of our organization.