Hannah Bissett
Hannah's Team APP & Friends Skydive!
Fundraising for APP
Story
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page
I am a Peer Support & Regional Reps Co-ordinator at APP and am passionate about raising awareness and making a difference for women and families affected by postpartum psychosis (PP) - together with spreading the word about this fantastic charity. Whilst a skydive has never been on my "to-do list", the opportunity to do this with others from APP and hopefully raise a load of money is just too good to pass up! A significant birthday next year may also have been a factor in my decision... And hey, if you can get through PP, you can do anything, right?!
When Sebastian was born in 2009, I had PP, "out of the blue" like 50% of all cases. PP is a truly awful and terrifying illness, not just for the women who go through it but for their families and friends. The most important thing I have taken from my experience, and the time that I have been involved with APP, is that women can and do recover. I was lucky to eventually be treated in a Mother & Baby Unit, which meant I could be reunited with my son, bond with him and learn how to be his Mum whilst recovering from a serious mental illness. I was high risk in becoming unwell again after Reuben was born in 2013, but happily I stayed well and am grateful for the role that APP played in this, from a specialist consultation to their information and peer support I received.
Perinatal mental health is getting increased awareness but PP can sometimes sadly be seen as the "scary illness" that people are still reluctant to talk about. Please give generously to help APP support women and families who have been through PP. This includes campaigning, providing information, resources and peer support - it's so vital to get the right information and absolutely invaluable to hear those two little words from others: "me too". Also knowing from others who have been through it that you can get better is really powerful, and something that just isn't the same when you hear it from professionals or even the most fantastic family and friends.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.