EMD scales new heights for cause close to her heart

Emergency Medical Dispatcher Steph Vanden Hurk tackled her fear of heights to raise much needed funds for women with perinatal depression at this year’s White Cloud Foundation’s Leaping Ladies event.

Queensland’s White Cloud Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation providing practical support, easy access to treatment, and early intervention programs for people living with or at risk of developing depression and anxiety in its many forms.

Its annual Leaping Ladies event, hosted in March, sees recognised female community leaders take a ‘leap of faith’ and abseil down the Kangaroo Point cliffs.

The event raises vital funds for new mothers and their families at risk of experiencing perinatal depression to ensure the continuation of their incredibly successful Meals for Mums program.

Steph used this service, which provides nutritious meals for mums who need them, after her first baby was born in 2020.

“I was really struggling with perinatal depression with my oldest and it was recognised during a mental health check

with the child health nurse and the White Cloud Foundation was actually one of the referral pathways,” Steph said.

“Having those meals was just one less thing to worry about in a massively scary and stressful situation, at least I could eat good healthy meals as well.”

Steph bravely spoke about her struggle with perinatal depression to the participants of the Leaping Ladies event.

“People talk about the baby blues, but it gets to a point where you realise it’s not just the baby blues, it’s not just hormones, it’s ongoing and it’s getting worse,” she said.

“It’s a pretty awful feeling not wanting to be around your baby – you love them, but you don’t want to touch them, you don’t want to be near them, and you think everyone’s better off without you.”

Two happy baby boys later, Steph overcame her struggles and her fear of heights to raise awareness for the

organisation and its vital services that helped her so much.

“I really don’t like heights so for me it’s a massive thing to be able to do that and overcome it for something so good,” she said.

“It’s important for people to know there is help out there and to reach out sooner rather than later.

“After using it myself I thought it would be really nice to help other mums out there who don’t know about it and encourage them to reach out for help sooner rather than later.”

Participants of the 2022 Leaping Ladies event.

Steph getting ready to abseil down Kangaroo Point cliffs as part of the White Cloud Foundation’s Leaping Ladies event..