On this episode of The Great Equalizer, we continue to unpack maternal mental health in South Africa, against the backdrop of the trial and sentencing of Lauren Dickason and, more specifically, the IVF journey.
Lauren Dickason is a mom of three and fellow South African who was convicted in the New Zealand courts for the murder of her three daughters, Liane (6) and Karla and Maya (2).
At the time of the tragedy, the South African mom had recently emigrated to New Zealand with her family. Her husband, Graham, an orthopaedic surgeon, received a job opportunity and so, like many emigrating South Africans, the family took the opportunity to seek out what they thought would be greener pastures. The tragedy occurred weeks after the Dickasons had settled into their new home, on the evening of the first day that the twins went to school.
Where we left off in the last episode is that Lauren pleaded guilty to infanticide, and not guilty to murder, but was found guilty for murder. And we unpacked the implications for this in the mothering community…
In this second episode we delve further into the issue of IVF, which is something that our in-studio guest, Raylene de Villiers, unpacks for us in detail.
Raylene is a mom of four and a former friend and confidante of Lauren Dickason.
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#maternalmentalhealth #mentalhealth #pps #postpartum #postpartumpsychosis #infanticide #filicide #motherhoodunplugged #motherhood #laurendickason
** This episode of The Great Equalizer was recorded in September 2023.
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DISCLAIMER & CONTENT WARNING:
The Great Equalizer endeavours to maintain a degree of respect for all viewpoints, and to uphold our policy of #nojudgies. The point of this difficult discussion is to shed some light on a dark topic, so that those of you who feel the need to talk about it and make sense of it, or even those who might be at risk of falling prey to similar circumstances, have a space to listen, grow and grieve. As always, everyone has a seat at our table, and we’re looking here to make sense of an often sad and scary world.
If at any point during these two episodes you are worried about your or someone else’s mental health, please contact:
– your GP or your local clinic
– South African Depression and Anxiety Group on 011 234 4837. Sadag has a WhatsApp counselling line that operates from 09:00 to 16:00: 076 882 2775.
– The Gauteng Mental Health Society: 011 984 4038
– The SA Federation For Mental Health: 011 781 1852
If you are in danger or someone else is endangering others, call the police immediately on 08600 10111 or 112 from a mobile phone.
If you need to take a step back and protect your energy, please do so. But stay tuned if you’ve wanted a space to think and talk about this conversation, and didn’t know where to go. This is why we’re here.
Raylene's book: Infertility Success to Postpartum Mess ·
Raylene's book: MORE Infertility Success Stories of Help and Hope for Your Journey ·
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