By VANESSA VALENZUELA
A BRAVE Sunshine mum who turned her life around is bringing the colour and culture of South Africa to Melbourne.
Elzette Bester was born in South Africa and moved to Australia in 2002 after marrying her husband who she met in Cape Town.
She worked as a freelance designer in Melbourne but would return to her home country every couple of years to stay in touch with family.
After the birth of her son in 2009, Elzette was diagnosed with postnatal depression and chronic fatigue which left her feeling disheartened and distressed.
“I was always maybe a little worried that postnatal depression would be a part of my life because I was apart from my family,” she said.
“You’ve got this beautiful baby but you don’t have any energy. You’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel to get through the day.”
Elzette sought out help from the Post and Ante Natal Depression Association (PANDA) which allowed her to overcome the challenges she was facing.
She said there are still a lot of mums living with the “silent illness” and encouraged them to seek help and think positively.
“When people see you are having a difficult time, they leave you alone, which is the opposite of what you need,” she said.
“It’s important to start looking at things differently and saying no the things that aren’t necessary and start living in the moment.”
Elzette now spends most of her time looking after her son and importing beautiful South African products to Australia to help raise money for the struggling community.
“It’s giving people work in a structured environment where they have an income and people can look after their own interests,” she said.
To see some of Elzette’s products visit ‘Elzette’s Pop Up Shop’ on Facebook or email elzettespopup@gmail.com
For more information about post natal depression call the PANDA hotline, or visit www.panda.org.au
