From Tragedy to Purpose: The Story Behind In Her Circle
There is a particular kind of grief that comes when you lose someone who was loved, deeply, visibly, by people who were right there, and the system still failed her.
That is the grief that started this.
Jenna Dorman was a Vancouver mother. After the birth of her second son, she struggled with postpartum depression that escalated into a severe mental health crisis. She was surrounded by a strong, advocacy-driven community: people who showed up, who fought for her, who loved her fiercely. And yet she was unable to access the level of specialized care she needed, in time. She died in late 2024. Her death was preventable. And the people who loved her refused to let that be the end of her story.
The Heart of it
In Her Circle was born in the aftermath of an unbearable loss. A community, deeply impacted, asking themselves: what do we do with this?
The answer was: we build something. We make sure other families don't have to fight as hard. We take what we know, from grief, from lived experience, from the clinicians and advocates who've been sounding this alarm for years, and we make it impossible to look away.
Because Jenna's story is not unique. Nearly 1 in 4 women in BC experience mental health challenges during pregnancy or the postpartum period. Suicide is a leading cause of maternal death in the first year. Families routinely face waitlists of 3 to 6 months for group programs. There is no mother-and-baby inpatient care in this country. For those experiencing postpartum psychosis, a psychiatric emergency, these gaps can be fatal.
“1 in 4 women experience a mental health challenge during pregnancy or postpartum
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the first year postpartum”
As Kiri Bird, Lead Organizer of In Her Circle, put it: "If our community, with all the privilege, education, and capacity we have, couldn't access what Jenna needed in time, I'm not sure who could."
This is not a niche problem. This is a widespread, under-recognized public health reality hiding in plain sight.
Where it started and where it's going
In Her Circle launched on April 29th, during Mental Health Awareness Month, with a clear first goal: raise $16,000 to fund one year of weekly, drop-in postpartum peer support through the Pacific Post Partum Support Society (PPPSS). No waitlist. No barriers. Accessible to any postpartum mother in BC, regardless of immigration status.
"Peer support can be a lifeline for parents navigating perinatal mood challenges," says Clare Zeschky, Executive Director at PPPSS. "Our weekly drop-in group exists to ensure there is always a soft place to land: no barriers, no waitlist, just community and support."
The community responded and then kept going. The goal expanded to $32,000. And still, people kept showing up. With donations, platforms, businesses, and their own quiet weight of I didn't know this had a name or I wish this had existed when I needed it.
What we are witnessing is recognition. It's a signal that this is bigger than a fundraiser; it's a movement. And it's making one thing clear: storytelling and advocacy must be core to this work moving forward. We are committed to bringing perinatal mental health out of the shadows and into the rooms where decisions get made.
We started this in Jenna's honour. What we're building is her legacy. And this is only the beginning.
Be part of what's next
The movement is growing, and there is more to come. Follow @in.her.circle on Instagram and join the newsletter to stay close to what's building.
If you're ready to support right now, donations are open. Tax receipts available through Charitable Impact or check out our silent auction https://inhercircle.ca/
Looking for postpartum support right now? Visit our Local Postpartum Specialists page, or reach out to the Pacific Post Partum Support Society at postpartum.org.
