Nearly 80 people came together to take part in Brantford’s second annual Flora’s Walk at Mohawk Park on Sunday, May 10. 2026.
The national walk, which is designed to raise awareness and funds to support perinatal mental health, is named in memory of Flora Babkhani.
The Toronto mother lost her life to undiagnosed postpartum psychosis on January 14, 2022, just two months after she gave birth to her daughter.
According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), postpartum psychosis is rare; there’s approximately 1-2 cases per 1,000 births, most often appearing within the first six weeks after birth. With symptoms such as paranoia, hyperactivity, rapid mood swings, hallucinations and insomnia, it’s a medical emergency that requires immediate attention.
Sunday’s event was put on by Team Brantford leaders Stephanie Dinsmore, owner and director of Mindful Path Counselling, and Jodie Muir, owner of Roots and Bloom Therapy Services.
“The goal for today is to raise awareness and funds to be able to talk about perinatal mental health and allow new parents to be able to access support and resources,” said Muir. “Of those funds, 30 per cent will go towards national advocacy efforts, and 70 per cent will stay local here in Brantford and Brant County.”
The two said that while it can be difficult to talk about perinatal mental health, it’s important to reach out and seek out assistance if you can.
“It’s okay to have these conversations and to say that you’re having a hard time,” said Muir. “There’s no shame or failure in experiencing it, parenthood is a giant life adjustment and it’s okay to be struggling, it doesn’t mean you’re less than any other.”
Dinsmore added “it doesn’t need to define you.”
Noting that they were already past the half-way mark of their $10,000 fundraising goal, the team leaders said donations can still be made online until Sunday, May 31.
“We’re currently sitting at $5,500 which is just incredible, and we would love to reach our goal,” said Muir. “Every single dollar counts and will make a world of difference in the lives of a lot of different moms and new parents who are struggling, and who don’t have access to insurance or the money for treatment. The funds from this walk are going to really help a lot of people get access to pro-bono or very low-cost services.”
“And that’s huge because the OHIP wait list for counselling during that perinatal time is extremely long,” added Muir. “Getting help is so often inaccessible and is often too late for moms who are struggling, and that can result in the loss of lives.”
Both Dinsmore and Muir added that they were grateful for those participating in the event, as well as everyone who has supported it along the way.
“I have to give a big thank you to everyone, especially our sponsors William Street Eyecare, Reveur Marketing, B3 Therapy, GrandBridge Energy, and Essential Physiotherapy & Wellness,” said Dinsmore. “We also had a lot of really amazing local businesses that have provided some free raffle items as well, and we’re just really grateful for them for showing passion and care for this cause.”
Before the 2.5-kilometre walk got underway, participants spent their time engaging with vendors like Minute for Mental Health and Let Them Latch, or posing for family photos in the park. Many also took advantage of the free snacks and Altitude Coffee Roasters, as well as eye masks.
Youngsters in attendance also spent their time playing amongst others in the bouncy castle or creating Mother’s Day crafts at a nearby picnic table.
As everyone prepared to head out on their route, Dinsmore told the 80-plus person crowd that Flora’s Walk was more than just an event.
“It’s a movement rooted in community, remembrance and advocacy,” she said. “It brings people together to support families, raise awareness and strengthen the resources available to those who need it most. By being here today, whether you’re walking, volunteering, donating or simply showing up, you are part of this impact. You are helping to build awareness, reduce stigma and create a stronger, more supported community.”
Muir later added that while having a child can be “beautiful, meaningful and life changing in wonderful ways, it can also be overwhelming, isolating, frightening and emotionally exhausting.”
“There is such a complex mix of emotions that can exist at the same time while going through a change like new parenthood, whether it’s your first time, second time or tenth time growing your family,” she said. “And yet, so many parents suffer silently because they feel ashamed of struggling during a time they think is supposed to feel happy, and that anything less than that makes them a failure.”
“Perinatal mental health challenges are incredibly common. About one-in-five mothers experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder, and one in ten partners struggle as well,” Muir continued. “Both of these numbers are also likely largely under-reported because despite how common these experiences are, so many parents never reach out for help because of stigma, fear, guilt or the belief that they should just be able to handle it all on their own. We need to change that. We need to normalize conversations about postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, birth trauma, rage, grief and the complicated emotional reality of parenthood. We need parents to know that struggling does not mean you are failing.”
As of Monday, May 11, Team Brantford has officially raised $6,105 of its $10,000 goal.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
