Last week in Milwaukee, Alisa Lorraine Evans, 38, attempted to drown her 2-week-old twin boys in the bathtub, killing one and leaving the other hospitalized. According to WTMJ-AM in Milwaukee, "Issues of postpartum mental illness will figure significantly in the case … Authorities said the woman had lost an adult son in a Texas shooting incident last fall, and she told police she only wanted the babies to go to heaven."
Of course I won’t go into any details here, but the WTMJ story states:
"Joyce Smith told investigators her daughter was depressed and had said Jan. 10 she didn’t want to live anymore and talked about ‘hurting or killing herself.’ She had been living in Milwaukee about six months and was separated from her husband in Waco, Smith said. Evans, who was a licensed vocational nurse, told police she wanted a permanent solution to her problems and ‘only wanted the children to go to heaven’…"
Additionally, last Sunday a mother in Sacramento apparently drowned her 8-day-old daugther. Kristina Feulling of Granite Bay faces murder charges. According to News10 in Sacramento, "Kristina Fuelling’s psychological condition was being investigated late Sunday and there was no indication that drugs or alcohol were a factor in the child’s death."
Fuelling’s family and friends issued the following statement:
Kristina is known as a loving and caring person and we have only witnessed Kristina showing affection and care towards her baby. Kristina stopped work months ago only to take care of her pregnancy and baby. She has called the doctor numerous times for every little concern since the baby was born. Her life has been completely dedicated to caring for her child. It seems illogical that such a loving mother would harm her baby and we hope officials will find the same to be true. It does not seem real that baby Faith is not alive and with us. Our prayer and support are united for Kristina.
More women who have slipped through the cracks. We need postpartum mood disorder screenings in the hospital and at the 6-week postpartum checkup. Period.
