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Fortunately she contacted St Joseph’s Hospital’s Postpartum Depression Services where she reached Terry Scallon an RN who strongly encouraged her to go to the emergency room at St Joseph’s. Terry prayed Amy would end up safely at St. Joseph’s were she could be evaluated and cared for. When Amy arrived she was admitted to St. Joseph’s, and described, “Terry Scallon as her lifesaver.”
She came to see me every day in the hospital and made me feel like I wasn’t a freak, that I was a good mom. She supplied me with everything I needed to pump and store my breast milk, because it was very important to me to continue breastfeeding my baby.”
Carole Sheehan, coordinator of the Postpartum Depression Program, worked with Terry to help Amy get the treatment she needed for her depression.
Amy stated that they were so helpful and worked with the doctor to maintain her breastfeeding while on medication.
Thankfully, Amy recovered fully with the help and support of the St. Joseph’s staff and her family. As she was getting better, she wrote a heartbreaking essay about her ordeal called “My Big Green Monster,” published in the Postpartum Support International newsletter. She was also interviewed for a cable access show in Sierra Vista.
Today, Amy helps others who are going through the difficulties of postpartum depression and is eternally grateful for the help and care she received from her Carondelet “angels,” As she calls them. Her goal is to prevent another expectant mother from enduring the pain and isolation brought on by such a condition.
St. Joseph’s Hospital began the Postpartum Depression Program in 2003, and the support groups are free and open to the public. The hospital also conducts free screenings and runs a help line for one-on-one assistance in dealing with perinatal mood disorders, including postpartum depression.
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