Stories
Dashelle’s story
When Dashelle experienced post natal depression after the birth of her first child, she found professional help was not easy to find.
Navigating the system was overwhelming - accessing specialised care meant long waitlists and inconsistent support, barriers that only deepened her struggle during an already vulnerable time. It took 18 months for Dashelle to recover.
After the birth of her second baby she recognised the symptoms quickly, but this time the story was different - thanks to access to the newly opened Catherine’s House.
Catherine’s House is Queensland’s first integrated perinatal mental health centre, established thanks to generous community support through Mater Foundation.
Within days of those first symptoms, Dashelle and her family were admitted, and the impact was immediate and profound.
“My husband was able to stay with us full-time for the first two weeks,” she explains. “And having my baby with me - it’s so important in those early postpartum days when you’re trying to bond and get to know your baby.”
For the first time, Dashelle was supported in a space designed not just for recovery, but for connection - where she could receive specialist care while still being fully present as a mother.
With access to a full suite of mental health and allied health services, she slowly began to return to herself.
After six weeks, Dashelle was able to return home, feeling almost herself again.
“The support and care I received made such a massive difference—not just to me, but to my children,” she says. “It meant I could be the mother I want to be.”
One in five mothers experience perinatal mental health challenges in the first year after their baby’s birth.
Dashelle’s experience is a powerful reminder that with the right support, recovery is possible - and that community generosity can change lives, when it matters most.
Jan’s Story: More Time, More Moments
Jan had just welcomed her first grandchild when a pain in her chest changed everything. Tests revealed stage 4 lung cancer. She had never smoked.
Jan wasn’t expected to survive a year.
“I just remember thinking I had a two-month-old grandson I was never going to see grow,” Jan said.
Then came a chance at hope. Jan was eligible for a groundbreaking Mater clinical trial. Her hope was simple: more time. More time to watch her grandson grow. More time with the people she loved.
That trial changed Jan’s life.
Eight years later, Jan has walked her grandson to his first day of school, welcomed another grandson, and celebrated her son’s wedding. Moments she once feared she would never see became precious memories.
The treatments used in that clinical trial have now become the standard of care, added to the PBS and accessible to other cancer patients.
Jan’s story shows what clinical trials can make possible. They give patients access to new treatments, drive progress in cancer care, and create real hope for families facing the unimaginable.
The clinical trial that gave Jan hope was made possible. With your continued support, more life-saving research can continue. Every gift helps fund clinical trials and advances that give more people the chance for more time, more milestones, and more moments that matter.
