A walk to help raise awareness and support of those who struggle with perinatal mental health is returning to Fort Frances next week.
Flora’s Walk is an annual awareness and fundraiser walk that has been taking place across Canada since 2022. Named after Flora Babakhani, a mother in southern Ontario who lost her life in 2022 to postpartum psychosis, the walk seeks to ensure that no mother has to suffer with perinatal mental health struggles alone, and provide help to those who need it.
The local walk is on its second year and is once again being organized by Kaylee Heyens-McMahon, a registered psychotherapist and co-owner of NorthWest Ontario Counselling and Consulting (NWOCC) located in downtown Fort Frances. This year’s local Flora’s Walk is scheduled for Friday, May 9, 2025, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Sorting Gap Marina.
Heyens-McMahon said the event has evolved in its short time in existence, going from a walk raising awareness of postpartum psychosis to one that encompasses all of perinatal mental health.
“[Flora’s sister] started this walk for her sister in her honour, to raise awareness for postpartum psychosis,” she explained.
“But it’s become now more of an awareness walk for a variety of perinatal mental health issues such as postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, just to really shine a light on the struggles that a lot of moms and families experience in the perinatal period.”
The perinatal period extends from conception to the first year after birth, which means that mothers will spend a significant amount of time within it. Heyens-McMahon said a common misconception that the walk seeks in part to address is that perinatal mental health struggles only crop up after birth, but the reality is that mothers can begin to experience negative mental health struggles at any point in the perinatal period.
“More research over more recent years has showed us that, no, those mental health issues can actually start during pregnancy,” she said.
“And even trying to conceive as well can be a struggle emotionally and mentally for a lot of people. So yes, people might realize that they’re struggling trying to conceive or during pregnancy. That is a very real diagnosable issue too, perinatal depression, perinatal anxiety doesn’t have to start once the baby comes, so it’s just something to be really, really mindful of.”
And even though the perinatal period ends at one year post-birth, Heyens-McMahon said the effects of undiagnosed and untreated struggles during the period can last years beyond the defined limits of the period, which can then see struggles compound and become more complex and serious.
“That’s why we’re walking, to really shed light on this and to let people know that support is available and they don’t have to suffer in silence or without treatment,” she explained.
“Because we do want to address these issues as quickly as possible, as early on as possible, so that moms can go on to enjoy motherhood and connect with their kids, and then the entire family thrives if the mom is doing well.”
This year’s Flora’s Walk is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Sorting Gap, and Heyens-McMahon said there will be a number of partner organizations set up to provide information to those who are attending that could offer support in the perinatal period. Organizations attending include Fort Frances EarlyON, Giishkaandago’ikwe Health Services, the United Native Friendship Centre (UNFC), the Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU) and Gizhewaadiziwin Health Access Centre, and many will have draws and giveaways throughout the walk. Once the event gets underway, Heyens-McMahon will speak to those in attendance about the event and perinatal mental health, two guest speakers will share their lived experience with perinatal mental health, elder Gary Councillor will provide a traditional opening, and the Women’s Hand Drum Group will sing a song.
The walking part of the event is scheduled to begin around 11:15 a.m., with walkers heading off from the Sorting Gap to Seven Oaks, depending on the weather that day. While last year’s event had some rain, which cut the walking to the overpass, Heyens-McMahon said that while there was originally hope to move the walk into the Memorial Sports Centre in the event of rain, the walking track will be unavailable, meaning this year’s event will be rain or shine, so dress accordingly.
Heyens-McMahon said that while she hopes for good weather, last year’s rain was almost fitting when taking into account what living with a perinatal mental health struggle can feel like.
“Last year, it was a really good metaphor for what the postpartum period is like,” she said.
“It was so windy and cold and just not a nice looking day. But me and some other women who’ve experienced perinatal struggles, we joked that, ‘Wow, isn’t this so significant to kind of what it’s like to be in that perinatal period and be struggling?’ And last year at the end of the walk, the sun did come out, and there was a rainbow. So yeah, we will walk no matter what the weather is like, because we’ve already been through kind of a metaphorical storm in the postpartum period.”
The walk is open to everyone and is free to attend, but for those who want to support local mental health initiatives, there is also a fundraising component to the event. Heyens-McMahon said that last year, Flora’s Walk raised over $6,000 locally, which went towards allowing her to provide one-on-one therapy to those who didn’t have insurance or the means to afford therapy in their perinatal period, as well as a monthly mom’s group at the UNFC. The goal this year is to raise even more money so Heyens-McMahon can continue to help those in need throughout the region.
In order to donate to the walk, go to CanadaHelps.org and search for Team Northwestern Ontario, visit bit.ly/44i0k58 or scan the QR code included in this story.
“These funds stay right here in the Rainy River District,” Heyens-McMahon said.
“We were able to support so many moms and families last year with these funds. We’re really passionate about raising awareness and, you know, having a good day on May 9, but also keeping this support going all year long with the funds that we raise.”
