Support PANDA week 2020!

Antonette Gaffney is organizing this fundraiser to benefit PANDA - Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia.

Hi, I’m Anton – a half-Filipino, naturalised Canberran with a passion for eating and a fear of barnacles. My hobbies include travelling (pre-COVID), drawing pictures of birds (a strange discovery during COVID), and playing competitive sudoku (sadly, I can’t blame that on COVID). I have an exhausting, yet loving, family including an 18-month-old son, and two step daughters aged 5 and 7.

I also had crippling anxiety and depression during pregnancy. It started off as the ‘I’m just crying at work every day, but I’m hormonal and that’s ok’ kind, which became the ‘I’m going to lock myself in the bathroom, and lie on the floor for a few hours, bye’ kind. When I had thoughts of ‘I could just drive into that tree and be free forever’, it was thanks to the firm and loving support of my husband and close friends when I sought professional help.

I didn’t even know it was possible to have depression during pregnancy. How can you treat a problem you don’t even know you have? Through reaching out to PANDA (www.panda.org.au), I discovered that 1 in 5 women experience anxiety and depression during pregnancy (antenatal depression). One in 7 women (1 in 10 for men) experience postnatal depression. I felt comforted to know I wasn’t alone and that help is available. PANDA’s support services are an invaluable source of advice, guidance and comfort for new parents, families and carers. I will forever be grateful to them and they remain a charity so very close to my heart.

I have pledged to raise $1500 for this fantastic organisation and would be grateful for your support.

I know this year has been tough on everyone but if there was a time to look after one other, it’s 2020. You never know, your contribution may make the difference for your mother, wife, sister or daughter someday.