Passionate Gidget Foundation advocate Marcelle Cooper shares her lived experience of perinatal depression
When Marcelle Cooper was recently named as the North Shore Volunteer of the Year, she says it was ‘one of the most special moments of my life.’ “When anyone volunteers for something they are so passionate about and that’s so personal to them, they never do it for recognition,” says Marcelle. “But I was so proud and so excited to see another opportunity for the Gidget Foundation to be out there, because every opportunity is a chance for another mother or father to find out what it’s about and how they can help.”
Marcelle and daughter, Skye
Crows Nest resident Marcelle is a ‘Gidget angel,’ one of the many brave parents who shares her lived experience of perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA) with others. Gidget Foundation Australia, located in North Sydney, is a not-for-profit organisation helping to support the mental health of expectant, new and potential parents. They offer services to prevent and treat perinatal mental health issues through early detection and intervention, while raising awareness about PNDA, which impacts around 100,000 Australians each year.
Marcelle and her husband Steve spent six years trying for a baby, and suffered six heartbreaking miscarriages. “We went through alternative therapies, tests, IVF and spent thousands of dollars,” she explains. “We got to a point where we were just absolutely broken.”
The couple decided to stop trying for a baby and spent a ‘blissful’ year travelling, before Marcelle says they ‘miraculously’ became pregnant – giving birth to a healthy baby girl, Skye. “The first 12 weeks were absolute bliss,” she explains. “And then something hit me like a brick wall and I came crumbling down in a heap. I can safely say the next six to nine months were probably the hardest of my life.”
A feeling of emptiness is what drove Marcelle to reach out to her GP, who then referred her on to the Gidget Foundation for counselling. “The Gidget Foundation is a specialist in postnatal depression and anxiety,” she says, adding that over time with treatment she started to feel like her old self again.
“I look back on (Skye’s) first year and I feel quite robbed,” Marcelle explains. “It breaks my heart to think of the turmoil that I was in. I’m just so grateful for the Gidget Foundation’s support through that phase because I hate to think where I would be without it.”
After raising $3,300 for the Gidget Foundation by running the City to Surf, Marcelle was approached by the foundation to be one of their ‘angels.’ She now shares her story with others, helps to open new Gidget clinics and takes part in perinatal panels.
Skye is now four, and Marcelle cherishes her volunteer role. “Asking for help was the hardest and most courageous thing I’ve ever done. But all it took was (for me) to call my GP, and that set the wheels in motion for the biggest turning point in my life. So if I can encourage others to be brave, even just one person, then I consider my job done.”
Willoughby MP Tim James and Marcelle
Marcelle is now a finalist for the NSW Volunteer of the Year, which will be announced by The Centre for Volunteering in December.
If you need help, phone 1300 851 758 or visit: gidgetfoundation.org.au