A Brother and Sister's Story - Natalie and Rob
Thank you so much to siblings Natalie and Rob for sharing their story with us.
Rob is running his first ever marathon this weekend in Brighton to help raise funds for and awareness of APP.
We were so inspired after speaking to both Rob and Nat that we asked them to share a few words about their experiences and what they mean to each other.
Nat:
'I am Natalie, Rob’s sister. I’m so proud and thrilled for Rob to be running the 2023 Brighton Marathon. He has dug deep in his physical and mental limits during his dedicated training and it has been inspiring for me to see.
APP is a charity that means a lot to our family as I was diagnosed with Postpartum Psychosis six years ago. After a very happy and healthy pregnancy I gave birth to my son Finn in May of 2017. Seven days later I was admitted to the mother and baby unit at Royal Bethlam hospital and stayed there for three months.
It was a scary time for us all as we had never heard of Postpartum Psychosis and I was subsequently diagnosed with bipolar, but I’m pleased to say that with treatment and tremendous support I have made a full recovery and lead a very happy life.
APP are doing a great job of raising awareness of this illness that so many have never heard of. They provide amazing support to affected mums and families when they need it most and I want my story to provide hope to those reading this.'
Rob:
'I’m so excited to be running my first marathon this week and feel really proud to be representing APP.
It’s so important that we raise awareness for Postpartum Psychosis as it affects families without any warning. My sister was the last person I expected to be visiting in hospital but I’m so happy to say that she’s now living her best life and is the best version of herself that I’ve ever seen.
It goes to show how important the right support and treatment is and that everyone affected by Postpartum Psychosis should have hope for a healthy and happy future.
My sister’s strength and resilience inspires me every day and will be fuelling me on my run; can’t wait!'
You can add your support to Rob as he runs the Brighton Marathon on 2nd April by visiting his JustGiving page.