Soon after her son was born earlier this year in Dallas, Texas, Rebekah “Becca” Rische was diagnosed with post-partum depression (PPD), a mood disorder that can affect women soon after childbirth.

Referred to UNC Hospitals because it houses the nation’s first and only free-standing, perinatal psychiatry unit, Becca and her husband Ben came with infant son Issac to Chapel Hill this past summer. While Becca was immersed in the inpatient clinic program, Ben and Isaac stayed at Family House, quickly establishing a routine that included regular visits with Becca in the hospital, couples therapy, and 1:1 therapy.

For Becca, knowing that Ben and Isaac were comfortable at Family House and that they were a five-minute drive to the clinic meant the world to her. “I couldn’t believe there was a place that will do this,” she shared. “They made it feel like home to Ben and Isaac. Just knowing they were safe and surrounded by loving people gave me such peace of mind.”

As they were gathering their belongings for the flight back home to Texas, Becca stressed that when you have PPD, support is necessary. She got support from the perinatal program, and Ben and Isaac got it while staying at Family House. “UNC gave me the tools to go back home to cope and to be the best mother that I can be. The hospital feels like a community of people who care. Family House feels like a community. Everyone is looking out for each other. Getting the support from everyone got us through this,” she said. We wish them all the Rische family the best.