Flora’s Walk fundraiser for perinatal mental health

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Flora Babakhani always wanted to be a mother.

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The chartered accountant tried for years to get pregnant, finally conceiving at 44 after many fertility treatments.

Her daughter Amber was born in November, a beautiful, healthy little girl.

Flora had to be hospitalized with edema after the birth, and it was obvious she was also experiencing serious mental health problems. Despite being surrounded by health care workers, her mental state was not addressed.

Amber was just over two months old this past January when Flora killed herself.

“Flora’s is a classic case of postpartum psychosis, the worst possible perinatal diagnosis, but the health care system dropped the ball time and time again,” said Patricia Tomasi, co-founder of the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative (CPMHC). “This should never have happened. We have to make sure it never happens again.”

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The CPMHC is holding its first national fundraiser walkathon — Flora’s Walk for Perinatal Mental Health — on May 4, 2022, coinciding with World Maternal Mental Health Day.

It’s a national event with walks in every province and territory. The main event is in Ottawa, where The Honorable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and other dignitaries will speak.

there are several walks here in the GTHA.

The walk is to help Flora’s family — baby Amber has been adopted by Flora’s sister — and to continue to help improve perinatal mental healthcare in Canada.

Unlike the UK, Australia and the US, Canada does not have a National Perinatal Mental Health Strategy.

Flora’s case was extreme. Her symptoms from her were intense and obvious, and still she could not get help.

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She died just days before she was supposed to see a doctor, an appointment her family had to beg to get.

If someone like Flora can’t find help, what happens to all the other women experiencing depression and other postpartum mental health problems?

The rate of perinatal mental illness has risen from one in five pre-pandemic to one in three, with even higher rates for marginalized people.

“Canada doesn’t keep statistics on maternal suicide, so you’d only know about these cases if it was a public act, or if someone told you,” said Tomasi.

Flora’s heartbreaking story came to Tomasi through a mutual friend who said the family wanted to get the story out. They believe Flora could have been helped with intervention.

What CPMHC is asking for, said Tomasi, is that the federal government cover the most basic needs: universal perinatal mental health screening and timely access to care.

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“Unfortunately, it takes a story like Flora’s to show people that perinatal mental health is a serious issue.”

Earlier this year, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Bennett was directed by Prime Minister Trudeau to, “ensure timely access to perinatal mental health services.”

“We’re glad that’s on the radar of the federal government,” said Tomasi.

“Now we just hope to see action. Soon.”