I'm Sara, 

Thanks for visiting my fundraising page :-) 

I will be attempting a Virtual Marathon (the full 26.2 miles) on Sunday 2nd October 2022. It will be happening on the same day as the London Marathon but I'll be doing it in Anglesey. And although I have technically 24 hours to complete it, I'm still terrified! I plan on trying to run as much of it as possible, and walk the rest. I'm by no means a runner, and feel quite unfit after having my second child, so agreeing to do this at such late notice is quite honestly bonkers!

Here's my why....

In 2016, during the labour of my first child, I began to develop Postpartum Psychosis & Postnatal Depression (Postpartum Psychosis is a severe mental illness which affects just 1 in 1000 women and requires immediate medical attention). This led to me being admitted to an Acute Psychiatric Ward when my baby was just 5 days old, then a specialised Mother & Baby Unit when she was 10 days old. This unit was around 90 minutes from my home..

Our hospital journey lasted around 8 weeks, but my road to recovery was almost a year! Organisations such as APP (Action on Postpartum Psychosis) are literally like gold-dust. With it being such a rare illness with a quick onset, there's very little support out there. Tragically this leads to many women taking their own lives because they don't get the right help, feel totally alone and in despair. 

I count myself extremely lucky to have had some insight and awareness into what was happening to me at the time. I was training to be a Psychotherapist but also had a maternal link which increased my risk (and knowledge) of developing the illness.

For most people however, they have no warning of what the illness looks like, what to do when symptoms present themselves or where to go for help. That's why APP are amazing! They have a range of services and resources that support both the individuals suffering and their families. They help women to feel more understood, signpost, listen, advise, empower and ultimately save lives!  

Here's a bit more about the charity and what they do; 

Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) is a UK charity. They make sure mums, parents and families are supported through postpartum psychosis – a severe, but treatable, form of mental illness that occurs after having a baby and affects 1400 new mums in the UK each year. They offer information and peer support, facilitate ground breaking research, raise awareness and campaign for improved services. Their life changing peer support network helps women and families affected by postpartum psychosis feel understood, supported and less isolated.

Thank you  so much for taking the time to read a bit about my story and the challenge ahead. Please spread the word about APP, especially if you know anyone who's expecting or has recently had a baby. Postpartum Psychosis can happen to anyone, regardless of their mental health history.

Thank you also from the bottom of my heart for donating! Let's hope I do everyone proud and complete the god damn thing lol. 

Sara x