65 www. ReadMPM. com | www.MountPl easantMagaz i ne. com | www.MountPl easantPodcas t . com and spending time at the beach. Preserving the beauty of the Lowcountry is what brought Emily to her role. “One of our signature projects east of the Cooper River is an oyster reef we installed in 2016 at Goldbug Island. This reef has regrown more than 20,000 square feet of marsh in just six years by stabilizing the shoreline and allowing sediment to build up behind it so grasses can grow.” To get involved, visit Nature.org/sc. 4. Make a lasagna. According to the CDC, one in eight women who give birth experience postpartum depression (PPD). Postpartum Support Charleston’s Beyond Delivery program is here to help. Delivering lasagna, infant care packages and information about postpartum support can let an overwhelmed new mom know she is not alone. “This holiday season, we will be raising funds and supplies to support our Beyond Delivery program,” shared executive director Elaine DeaKyne. “We’ll kick off in November with our second annual Lasagna Night, hosted by the lovely team at Post House.” Program coordinator Amber Weakley came to Postpartum Support Charleston after experiencing severe depression. “Motherhood is not easy, but when you add a mental health concern to the stress of motherhood, it can become unbearable. We need to let mothers know that they matter, just like this newborn baby does, and they aren’t alone in their feelings of sadness, fear, anxiety or even scary thoughts.” Visit PPDSupport.org to learn more. 5. Party with Light from Light for a brighter Haiti. In 1987, TJ Johnston, pastor of Mount Pleasant’s St. Peter’s Anglican Church, met Haitian Episcopal priest, Pere Valdema, on a mission trip in Haiti, and Light from Light was born. Together, they founded a large outpatient clinic in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti to meet a need for medical care. What began in Mount Pleasant now encompasses 23 churches across the Southeast. “The clinic we support in Haiti has 53 Haitian employees,” shared Tram Jones, medical director at Light from Light. “The outpatient clinic is outfitted with a full laboratory, pharmacy, malnutrition program, child vaccination program and mobile clinics. We also have physicians in pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology and general medicine. Last year, the clinic had 13,000 patient visits.” “There are many medical cases that stand out in my mind,” recalled Tram. “But one that sticks with me is the story of Mario. Mario was a child who had entered our nutrition program with severe acute malnutrition at the age of 5, much older than our average cases. His mother had all but abandoned him,” he goes on to say. “The clinic was able to nurse him back to health, but he did not have a safe environment to live in. With the help of a family in Mount Pleasant, he was moved into the home of two of our nurses who have functionally adopted him. He now attends school and is a normal, happy 9-year-old.” Visit LightfromLight.me for more information. feature Pos tpar tum Suppor t Char l es ton Care Package. Photo prov i ded by E l a i ne DeaKyne . Photo prov i ded by Tram Jones .
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