The Lambda Beta Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho will be hosting a Postpartum Depression Awareness Benefit and Forum on Dec.6, after the recent events of SGRO member Tijuana Maria Vasquez.
 
Vasquez, a junior art education major, went missing for about 24 hours in Cairo, Ga.and was found in the woods close to her home Friday morning. Cairo Police Department began their search after Vasquez went to get her mail on the morning of Nov. 26 and didn’t return.

 Police were told that she suffers from postpartum depression. Cairo Police found Vasquez the next morning in woods near her house.

 The family told WALB News that she is in the hospital recovering and is expected to be okay.

Postpartum depression is a moderate to severe depression in 8-20 percent of woman after childbirth. Most of the time, it happens within the first four weeks after delivery.

 The treatment of postpartum depression includes therapy, medication, or a combination of both. Other ways to reduce postpartum depression is having a strong support system from family, friends, and co workers, which SGRO is showing in their upcoming benefit-forum.

 The benefit-forum will be held on Monday, in the UC Magnolia Room at 7:30 p.m. The forum will present information about postpartum depression and may have medical professionals to speak more about the disorder.  

 At the benefit-forum, donations will be taken to help the Vasquez family with the treatment of the disorder.  Throughout the day, members of SGRO will sell “Zebra 8’s” to help spread awareness of the depression.

 The campaign called “Go Zebra” represents the former president of LASA’s (The Latin American Latin Association) line number and has the Zebra design, which is Vasquez’s favorite print. The Zebra 8’s are $1 and will also be donated to the Vasquez family.

 Nikki Mashburn, a senior philosophy major and president of SGRO hopes that the event will help spread the awareness of the disorder.

“Many blame themselves which isn’t the case,” Mashburn said. “We hope that people will wear the Zebra 8’s or at least make them visible. The best thing you can do is show your support and become informed.”

 Postpartum depression is a common problem for new mothers, but is a common problem with men as well. In a May 2010 study from The Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that men suffer from the disorder before the baby is born.  James F. Paulson, of the Eastern Virgin Medical School analyzed data from 43 previous studies and concluded that 10.4 percent of fathers (out of 28,004 participants) suffered postpartum depression between the first trimester of their wives pregnancy and the child’s first birthday.  Mashburn hopes that this information should convince men to see that this affects them too.

 “That day will come, when they will have to be for their wife or girlfriend,” Mashburn said. “Mothers need their support too, even if it’s taking care of the baby and her for the day.”

 For more information on the event, students and the community can visit the events Facebook page.