If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Mental Health Helpline on 988.
JENKS, Okla. A local mom told FOX23 her story after she was diagnosed with postpartum depression, hospitalized, and is now working to get well so she can be a mother to her two children.
The years when you don’t feel like the best mom, or just feel the anxiety of parenting, can be tough. FOX23 spoke with one woman who said her depression almost won, but through prayer and the desire to be a mother to her two children, she is fighting to get back on her feet.
“It’s emotional. I can’t talk to them and tell them I love them. It breaks my heart,” Savannah Bannon said.
Bannon is unable to speak due to a condition called tracheal stenosis after intubation injured his airway.
The injury occurred after an intentional overdose in 2021 due to postpartum depression.
“I have extreme anxiety because I can’t talk,” Bannon said.
FOX23 posted the transcript via audio so you can hear what he had to say.
“If something’s wrong, I can’t communicate it right away. It’s been driving me crazy, but the nurses help,” Bannon said.
Bannon said he had been in the hospital since July 31 to have his stent removed because it had become infected, but they discovered pneumonia in his airway, which later killed him eight minutes later.
“Hopefully in a month I’ll have my resection surgery, which is when the scar tissue is removed. I should be able to talk and breathe properly again and the windpipe will be removed, but the recovery will be long because it’s my windpipe. A very sensitive and vital part of my body,” Bannon said. .
Bannon said he had an entire army that helped him get through that time.
One of them is her best friend Annie Morgan, who said Bannon is an inspiration to her after seeing how he’s handled the difficult journey.
“It’s so hard to let others take care of you when you’re so used to taking care of yourself and I can’t do that. I don’t know how he does it. She handles it with such grace. If I could give him a message, he’d have a fan club, he’d have a village. Everyone is supporting him, everyone is praying for him. The prayers seem to work,” Morgan said.
Bannon said she has a message for other mothers.
“My message to other mothers would be that they are not alone. There are other people who are going through hard times and they are always hopeful and optimistic that things will get better. Just do your best because no one can love your children like you do , and they need you no matter what,” Bannon said.
Postpartum depression is something that isn’t talked about much in today’s society, so FOX23 spoke with an organization that specializes in maternal care, both during and after pregnancy.
“There’s a lot of guilt because you don’t want to discuss it with anybody else. Because you feel alone, very isolated and you don’t want to admit your feelings,” said registered nurse Kassidy Mitchell.
FOX23 spoke with Mitchell, who volunteers at Macy’s Cradle Pregnancy Crisis Center, about what postpartum is and what it does to a mother.
“The postpartum period is considered the postpartum phase. They consider it six weeks, and then you go to your postpartum appointment. It’s like when you’re at your OB doctor, the pregnancy ends. There’s a lot of things that happen in the postpartum days,” Mitchell said.
Hormonal shifts and postpartum are different for every mother, Mitchell said. She shared the following message for women like Bannon who are struggling after pregnancy.
“You really aren’t alone. There are a lot of other moms out there going through the same thing and you’re a great mom. Just because you feel these things doesn’t make them true. I know things are very isolating and you feel like someone else is don’t understand how you feel, but this is the happiest moment of your life and we will get through it, Mitchell said.
Macy’s Cradle is available for counseling, community and support during and after pregnancy, Mitchell said. You can learn more about these services by clicking here.
Morgan created a GoFundMe to help pay her medical bills. If you would like to donate, click here.
They also started a t-shirt drive to support Bannon’s medical expenses. You can find it here.
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