Chloe’s charity run to thank mother and baby unit

A mum has signed up for a 10k run to raise money for the mother and baby unit (MBU) in Hellesdon which gave her a lifeline when she suffered with postnatal depression.

Chloe Gosling has signed up for the Ely Tri Club Runfest on October 13, with the hope of collecting £1,000 in sponsorship for Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust’s (NSFT) Kingfisher MBU at Hellesdon Hospital. She has already raised £250 towards her target.

SUPPORT: Chloe Gosling is pictured with baby Aria-Rose.

Chloe said: “In 2021, after having my daughter Aria-Rose, I became significantly unwell with postnatal depression. I was admitted to Kingfisher where I stayed for two months until I was well enough to continue my recovery in the community.

“Kingfisher and the incredible staff there gave me a lifeline when I needed it the most. It allowed me to receive inpatient treatment for my mental health whilst still being able to care for my baby.

“The support I received from Kingfisher was life changing, and this fundraiser is my way of giving back to a place that gave me back my life.”
Aria-Rose is now three and Chloe, 26, describes her as beautiful, clever, kind, empathetic, funny…and perfect in every way.

But she said: “Things haven’t always been easy.” Chloe had struggled with her mental health since her teens but had been stable until towards the end of her pregnancy in 2021 when her mental health started to decline. Chloe was diagnosed with postnatal depression and for seven weeks after Aria’s birth she was supported in the community by mental health professionals, but it wasn’t enough and mother and baby were admitted to Kingfisher MBU.

After initially struggling with settling in, Chloe said she began to adapt to life on the ward and that the team at Kingfisher made her feel at home. She also made friends with other mums on the ward. After she was discharged, Chloe was still able to call the ward at any time for the first month and had three months of support from the MBU outreach service. The perinatal mental health team supported Chloe until Aria was two.
Chloe added: “Kingfisher gave me a lifeline, when I so desperately needed one. The intense support and treatment I received there not only helped me through postpartum depression and anxiety, but it healed a lot of trauma and hurt I had carried with me for 10 years. It gave me my life back. It gave me a second chance, to fall in love with my baby and with being a mum, because despite what you hear, it doesn’t always come instantly.
“I am raising money for Kingfisher not only to give back to a place that saved me, but to ensure the ward have enough funds to make all patients’ experiences as nurturing and as much like ‘a home from home’, as mine was.”

NSFT Chief Nurse Anthony Deery said: “Hearing Chloe’s story of how she benefited from the care we provided is heartening. We appreciate her sharing this experience and thank Chloe for her hard work and fundraising efforts on behalf of our Mother and Baby Unit.
“The funds raised will help us to strive to provide safer, kinder, and better support to mothers in need.” t If you would like to sponsor Chloe, visit www.justgiving.com and search for ‘Chloe’s fundraiser for Kingfisher MBU’.