Hello!

10 Comments

New mum takes her own life after suffering from postpartum depression, her family speaks out in hopes of saving others.

*TRIGGER WARNING

Allison Goldstein family was shocked when Allison wrote a goodbye email that was several pages long, checked her 4-month-old daughter into a day care centre, drove herself to a dirt road, and took her own life.

They literally had NO warning, as Allison kept her depression to herself, and put up a good front that everything was just fine.

“I’m so sorry that I didn’t know how to describe this pain and seek help” she wrote in her goodbye email.

Her grieving family is breaking the silence hoping that by telling her story, they will save lives, even just one life would be so worth it.

“If this can happen to Allison, it can happen to anyone,” her mum Carol Matthews says.

“Just the days before, she was just the happiest, smiling,” said her father.

“To lose your sister and best friend of 32 years and you just didn’t see it coming,” Allison’s sister, Mallory Hudson, echoed. “I mean without a doubt, you did not see this completely normal new mom to just fall apart so quickly…I wanted red flags. I wanted big alerts.”

Her family is speaking out, urging loved ones and spouses of new mums to go the extra mile to make sure they aren’t also hiding a crushing, life-ending depression and pretending that everything is fine while secretly planning a permanent way out.

Postpartum depression and psychosis tells a new mum terrible lies about herself and her life—tells her that it will always be this way, and that there’s no way out, that her family is better off without her. It’s up to friends and families of new moms to be proactive and speak truth into their lives—even if we have no reason to suspect that anything is wrong.

It’s something Allison’s family wishes they had known enough to do—and it’s why they are putting their pain on display to encourage other families to ask new mums the hard questions about their mental health.

“The disease that it is lied to her,” Allison’s sister said. “It twisted so many of her memories about being a new mom, a wife — so many things — it just lied to her. And it’s awful, it’s scary, and it happens and it happens so much more often than we realize.”

As they help to care for baby Ainsley, Allison’s family will tell her how  much her mum loved her—and continue to bring awareness about postpartum depression to others.

If you are a new mum and feeling a bit blue, please reach out! PANDA 1300 726 306.

Share your comments below.

Image via NBC 12

We may get commissions for purchases made using links in this post. Learn more.
  • It is firstly a tragedy that her family had no idea that the Mum desperately needed help. Some manage to put on an appearance around others instead of asking for help. Her death may have been a release for her. I am surprised she left her baby in childcare as often Mums take them with them.

    Reply

  • So sad – especially as she took care to ake sure her baby was ok.

    Reply

  • How very sad indeed ! And that while Post natal depression and psychoses are good treatable.
    I’ve worked as psychiatric nurse on a ward especially for mums with post natal depression and -psychosis and their babies admitted together.
    The hormonal imbalances have a huge impact.
    So important to raise awareness and when suffering put away the guilt and shame and ask help when needed.

    Reply

  • oh so sad for this little bub and family – such a shame that she felt like she couldn’t let others in to help her.

    Thank you to the family for sharing and lets hope that this helps others come out and let their families help before another sad ending of a life

    May she now rest in peace

    Reply

  • This is so so sad. I have been ther an understand how seriously hard it is to ask for help.
    You feel ashamed. Like you are weak for not coping and being the picture perfect mum. PND needs to be talked about. It is an illness that you do not choose, and is no ones fault.
    It can get better, please please ask for help.

    Reply

  • My goodness. That is so sad. I wish she could have asked for help

    Reply

  • So very sad for this family. I wish she’d been able to get help.

    Reply

  • So so sad, that poor little baby. How sad this poor woman felt as tho she couldn’t even talk to anyone about her pain. Tragic loss of life

    Reply

  • Poor woman. She must have felt so terrible to decide to take her own life. How sad! :-(

    Reply

  • ohhh thats so sad to know there was no warning, that she felt so down inside, to be so depressed, yet nobody knew. Poor Mumma, RIP. Hope the family in time heal and bub always belives she was loved :(

    Reply

Post a comment
Add a photo
Your MoM account


Lost your password?

Enter your email and a password below to post your comment and join MoM:

You May Like

Loading…

Looks like this may be blocked by your browser or content filtering.

↥ Back to top

Thanks For Your Star Rating!

Would you like to add a written rating or just a star rating?

Write A Rating Just A Star Rating
Join