April 14, 2015

I recently had the opportunity to visit the country of Malta. Malta is a beautiful Island located South of Italy in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Before my trip, I learned from Wendy Davis, the Executive Director of Postpartum Support International, that there was a Perinatal Psychiatrist in Malta. Wendy was able to connect the two of us via email. As a result the doctor and I were able to meet one evening while I was in Malta.

It was wonderful meeting Dr. Ethel Felice as well as her lovely daughter, Elena, who also works in the area of perinatal mental health as a psychology assistant. According to Dr. Felice, the annual birth rate in Malta is about 4,000 births. Even though Malta is a small country, it is addressing perinatal mental health including the rare cases of postpartum psychosis. I am encouraged to learn that moms and dads have properly trained professional resources available to them. They are also planning to start a support group sometime in the future.

Ethel and Elena were both appreciative that I donated a copy of my book, A Mother’s Climb Out of Darkness, as a resource for them as well as for moms and families. It is exciting to have a copy of my book in Malta and I hope it encourages all that read it. My trip to Malta has been a memorable experience for many reasons. One of the best memories will be meeting Ethel and Elena.