Mum faces biggest fear after ‘one of the most difficult times of her life'
Alyson Alcorn completed a daredevil skydive earlier this month, jumping out of a plane in the name of raising awareness surrounding perinatal mental health.
In 2020, during the height of the Covid pandemic, Ms Alcorn gave birth to 'beautiful' twin girls, however, the occasion was marred by the onset of postnatal depression.
Isolated due to Covid restrictions, the mum, from Quarry Bank, struggled alone on a hospital ward with her newborns.
Ms Alcorn said she is not sure she would be here today without the help of the charity (Image: Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust) Ms Alcorn said: 'I begged my mum to 'take the girls back where they came from' and would say 'I don't want them!' without a hint of hesitation.
'As hard as that is to think about now, I meant every word at the time.'
Fortunately, Ms Alcorn had been identified as high risk for postnatal depression by her midwife which meant she received immediate support from the Perinatal Community Mental Health Service at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
She credits the support she received as giving her her life back, saying: 'They came to my house; they listened, they learned about me, and they helped me.
'They got me access to nursery nurses, taught me baby massage and, most importantly, got me the medical care I needed.
'It is no exaggeration to say, without them, I'm not sure I would be here today.'
Ms Alcorn decided to 'face her ultimate fear' of taking on a skydive to raise money for Black Country Brighter Lives, the charity of Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
The money she raised will go directly to the Perinatal Mental Health team to support others who, as she did, needed help to deal with mental illness.
The skydive was her ultimate fear (Image: Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust) Sharing the team's gratitude for Ms Alcorn's challenge, Emma Doyle, Service Manager for the Black County Perinatal Mental Health team, said: 'I want to pass on a huge heartfelt thank you to Alyson for doing this courageous thing.
'It's fabulous that this will raise awareness around perinatal mental health and reduce the stigma that many people feel.
'We are honoured to help people like Alyson, where the journey into parenthood is challenging.'
Ms Alcorn wishes to continue raising more awareness of perinatal mental health, adding: 'There is still stigma. We are desperate to be seen as 'perfect mums' with perfect families, but the reality is a lot different.
'I am one of the lucky ones. I had an incredible support network, but there are many who don't.
'I am gladly facing my (ultimate) fear if it means another person in my situation gets the help they need and deserve.'
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