Day for Deb

The Debbie Gaunt Foundation has been created to build awareness about perimenopause, an often-challenging life event that can have devastating impacts on a woman’s physical and mental health.

Founder Craig Gaunt became aware of this knowledge gap after losing his wife Debbie to suicide in 2019. A much-loved wife, mother, friend and colleague, Debbie became severely mentally unwell shortly before her death, an episode that has since been partially attributed to the hormonal effects of perimenopause.

As they farewelled Debbie, the Gaunt family made a promise-
On behalf of:

• Every life that has been lost
• Every family that has been torn apart
• Every woman who has suffered thinking it’s her fault
• Every child who’s watched their mother change into a different person
  If this sickness is listening, if you can hear us – you’ve picked the wrong person. Because we are coming to get you.

The Gaunt Family’s first significant contribution was to donate $20,000 to the Monash Alfred Psychiatric Research Centre in Melbourne, towards development of a comprehensive online course for doctors about women’s health.

The current priority of the Debbie Gaunt Foundation is to raise a further $24,500 to assist finalisation of the midlife module of this course. The module will address perimenopausal depression, menopause and hormone replacement therapy, complex trauma disorder in perimenopause and family violence.

The Debbie Gaunt Foundation is auspiced by Iris Foundation and supports its efforts to reduce the risk of suicide on the NSW Central Coast.
For more information visit: www.irisfoundation.org.au/