Climb Out of the Darkness 2017
COTD Announcement
Welcome to Climb Out of the Darkness 2017
PSI is excited to launch Climb Out of the Darkness 2017 and honored to continue this wonderful event. We have collaborated with many to plan and host a Climb that is built on the great work done by Postpartum Progress and Climb Leaders through the years. PSI has developed a new process by which local groups can receive most of the money they raise, as well as welcoming all who are not affiliated with a local group, but want to contribute to perinatal mental health support in underserved communities. We are happy for your support and ready to help you make your Climb a success!
We want all who have been part of the Postpartum Progress community to know that our hearts are with you as you are weathering the storm of the closure of PPI. We welcome past Climb Leaders who have been such an integral part of the Climb, and welcome PSI members and friends who might be brand new to the event. We know so many had already put time and effort into the 2017 Climb, and PSI is excited to work with you as we continue this great work. We look forward to working with climb leaders and warrior mom alumnae who have continued to provide support and connection, and we want all to feel a huge warm welcome from PSI volunteers, board, staff, and members.
We are very happy to announce that our 2017 Climb Managers are Emily Jankowski Newton and Timoria McQueen Saba. We are so excited to work with this powerhouse team, and all of the Climb Leaders and Volunteers. They’ve put together a Leaders Manual and are ready for your questions. Write to them at cotd@postpartum.net Welcome!
Start a Climb, Join a Climb, or donate to to Climb:
Climb Out of the Darkness 2017 on CrowdRise
Message from our Climb Managers, Timoria and Emily –
“Alone we can do so little.
Together we can do so much.”
― Helen Keller
Timoria McQeen Saba
I am a maternal health writer, advocate and speaker specializing in mental and physical trauma due to childbirth and pregnancy-quite a change from my former career as a celebrity makeup artist. Immediately following the birth of my oldest daughter in 2010, I suffered a postpartum hemorrhage and almost died. I underwent a life-saving surgery and was later diagnosed with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). One year later, I had a miscarriage in a frozen yogurt shop in front of several people, which triggered the difficult emotions from the hemorrhage I suffered the year prior. I realized that there were very few resources for women who had experienced similar birth and pregnancy complications and the lingering psychological effects. I decided to start the conversation publicly and became a maternal health advocate. My treatment included a combination of talk therapy and restorative yoga. I gave birth to my second daughter in March of 2014. My birth experience the second time around can best be described as perfectly “normal.” I have written for several websites, including the Huffington Post. I am currently a volunteer for Postpartum Support International (PSI) on the Warmline and as an administrator on the PSI Facebook page. I have been featured as a guest speaker for hospital support groups as well as information sessions for doctors, midwives and therapists. One of my other passions is collaborating with other maternal health advocates to bring awareness to bills aimed at improving women’s health. I also run a mother’s support group called “Emotional Wellbeing After Baby” at Milford Regional Hospital in Milford, MA. It is my goal to help other women have their birth experiences validated. Mothers deserve to feel supported and know they are not alone in whatever their personal struggle may be.
Emily Newton
I am a yoga instructor and Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder (PMAD) advocate. I suffered from PPA and PPOCD after the birth of my oldest son in 2008. Unfortunately, I wasn’t diagnosed until 2010 while being treated for PPA after the birth of my second son. After my third child was born in 2012, I found myself once again suffering from PPA. A combination of treatments including talk therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes helped me recover completely. Living for two years with an undiagnosed PMAD is what lead me to advocacy work with Postpartum Progress and now Postpartum Support International. Raised by freethinkers, I am devout in my faith, secular humanism. I have been a yoga practitioner since 1996 and a certified yoga teacher since 2011. When I’m not advocating for perinatal mental-health or teaching yoga, you can find me in the pool training for open water swims. I also enjoy working in my garden, which is large enough to feed my family. I spend as much time outdoors as the weather will allow.
