The Hettinger Family

For Erin and Jason, the road to parenthood has been long and trying, full of hope and prayer. The process of struggling with infertility through 42 weeks of pregnancy and into motherhood was tough on Erin especially, and we were all thrilled when they welcomed baby Emma Joy in January.

Amidst the joy, there was also pain. Erin says, "It was extremely hard for me to bond with Emma. 'Mother's instinct' wasn't there, so I had no idea how to care for Emma. I started not being able to eat or sleep." Erin didn't recognize this as postpartum depression because it manifested in really high highs instead of low lows. Going back to work made things harder, and pay cuts, layoffs, and the elimination of Emma's daycare program made things too difficult to handle without intervention; Erin found herself in the ER with risk factors for postpartum psychosis.

Thankfully, Erin was referred to the Mother-Baby program at HCMC, an intensive outpatient treatment (4 days/week, 5 hours/day) designed to holistically help Erin and Emma work through this. Treatment includes "step-down" programs to help Erin transition slowly back to full-time work, but the process is expected to take at least six months, during which Erin cannot work full-time. Erin doesn't want to miss out on any more of Emma's life due to mental illness. The best practice for treating perinatal mental illness is a combination of medication, therapy, and using existing support systems—which is where we come in.

As all parents know, it takes a village, and the Hettingers need their village right now. Their family budget only works when both Jason and Erin are working full-time, so they are seeking income replacement for Erin for the duration of her treatment. She has no vacation or sick time remaining following her otherwise unpaid maternity leave, and short-term disability only covers some of their need. The Hettingers are very fiscally responsible—their only debt is their house, and furthermore, they are committed to giving 10% of donations to the Mother-Baby program so even more moms can receive help.

Here's what you can do:
Donate. Together, we can help this precious family stay afloat while Erin heals.
Share. Spread the word on social media to increase awareness of perinatal mental illness.
Get creative. Do you have a special skill that could help the Hettingers? Are you handy? Do you have a green thumb? Let us know and we'll get you in touch with Jason.

UPDATE: Erin and Jason offer a big thank you to everyone for their support. They feel so loved and blessed by your generosity, which is enabling Erin to continue recovery in her outpatient program and not feel the pressure to rush back into working 40 hours before she’s healed. We’re pleased to report that their family can receive some help from short- and/or long-term disability.
Outside of her program, Erin is spending hours navigating the complicated world of medical insurance, wherein some systems are making it difficult to access full benefits. Prayers for patience requested.
Finally, the Hettingers want to invite local friends to serve with their church community, Christ Presbyterian in Edina, at a Mobile Pack event benefitting FMSC. Details: cpconline.org/event/feed-my-starving-children/