An estimated one in five women suffer from postpartum depression and anxiety. Some research has this ratio as shocking as one in three who endure maternal mental illnesses.

To put this in perspective, that is a staggering 800,000 women in the US that will struggle.

Of these 800,000 women, only 15% will seek support - this means 85% will resign to suffer in silence at the expense of their, and potentially their baby’s, mental and physical health.

And what if that number is as high as one in three women? The current climate is one of stigma and silence around postpartum depression and other mental illnesses despite its prevalence among mothers. At Postpartum Support Charleston, we are on a mission to change all that.

Our non-profit organization exists to provide support and resources to women and their families struggling with maternal mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, OCD, and psychosis during and after pregnancy.

We accomplish this by connecting moms with our distinct peer support system of mom mentors along with providing access to dynamic mental and physical health professionals and resources.

The personal connection and empathetic experience of our moms-for-moms support system coupled with expansive health and wellness expertise provides the approachable, comprehensive, and impactful safety net to help a suffering mom learn how to put herself first for the sake of her health and her baby’s.

Based in Mt. Pleasant (SC), the Ruth Rhoden Craven Foundation established Postpartum Support Charleston in March 2000.
Known as a vibrant, stable, and vivacious young woman, Ruth suffered from postpartum depression after her son was born - two months after his birth on December 5, 1999, she succumbed and took her own life.

Nearly 25 years later, suicide is the leading cause of death for postpartum women.

To prevent this tragedy from finding another family, Ruth's mother, Helena Bradford, and her childhood friends Elaine Earl and Mary Anna Mullinax formed The Ruth Rhoden Craven Foundation, Inc. to provide support, education, and healing for mothers and their families.

From the beginning, our mission has always been to provide support and resources to women and their families struggling with maternal mental illnesses including depression, anxiety, OCD, and psychosis during and after pregnancy.

Our organization grew and developed propelled entirely by volunteers and donors. In 2017, Postpartum Support Charleston brought on Executive Director Elaine DeaKyne to further the mission, implement innovative programs, and develop the organization’s outreach.

And grow we have.

Our annual fundraiser, the Moms’ Run continues to bring over 500 participants year after year, and our partnerships and supporters in the community help make this our largest fundraiser.

In 2018 we introduced our mom mentor program, a training and support structure of moms-for-moms mentors and peer support group facilitators. Our mom mentor program continues to grow and is helping to serve thousands of mothers and counting.

In 2021 we added our Beyond Delivery program, providing meals and care packages to new moms in the community. We expanded our reach by 400% in the first year of the program and have helped more moms than ever. We look forward to expanding this program through postpartum planning to help expand care and reduce the stigma around maternal mental illness.

Ruth Rhoden Craven was a beloved daughter, wife, mother, and friend who suffered from postpartum depression following the birth of her first child. This illness took a stable, positive, and happy young woman and turned her into a weakened, helpless soul. On Dec. 5, 1999 – just two and a half months after the birth of her son – Ruth could no longer take the pain and anguish of postpartum depression and ended her life.

To help prevent this tragedy from happening to another family, Ruth's mother, Helena Bradford, and friends Elaine Earl and Mary Anna Mullinax formed The Ruth Rhoden Craven Foundation, Inc. in March 2000. The overall goal is to provide support, education, and healing to other women and their families so they don't have to suffer through the kind of tragedy that Ruth's family did.

Helena Bradford believes if Ruth had received proper treatment, she would be alive today. “Before Ruth was stricken with postpartum depression, I had never even heard of it. I want women and their families to be more prepared and informed than we were, so they won’t have to go through what we did," she says.