Excited to learn more about having a healthy birth and breastfeeding, Desiray Graves enrolled in Goodwill Nurse-Family Partnership® (NFP), a maternal-child program that pairs registered nurses with first-time families. Until participants’ children turn two, nurses walk alongside their parents and deliver trusted information so they can provide the very best start during the earliest, most developmentally critical years.
For Desiray, this meant asking many questions to prepare for motherhood. Her nurse, Jennifer, ensured that she felt knowledgeable about the birthing process and empowered in her goals for breastfeeding. This empowerment allowed her to advocate for herself and prioritize breastfeeding over bottle feeding with hospital staff, shortly after giving birth. Desiray went on to breastfeed for over two years.
After birth, she experienced stressors in her life that would affect her emotional well-being. Desiray’s nurse noticed the change and recognized it as symptoms of depression. That led to Desiray taking the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, a screening specifically geared toward the mental health of pregnant or postpartum women.
Her score also showed increased symptoms of depression; following the screening, Desiray shifted gears to seek help. She immediately visited a doctor and was prescribed medication. She kept a keen focus on her mental health, working with her doctor to develop a plan to forgo medication.
Desiray has become an avid advocate for postpartum mental health and home visitation programs such as Goodwill NFP. She participates in Goodwill NFP’s Parent Advisory Board, gathering feedback from parents who completed the program and using that information to better the experience for newly enrolled families.
Moreover, her personal experiences in Goodwill NFP inspired her to to work with others to achieve their birthing goals. Working with her nurse, she enrolled in a doula certification and lactation course – and once certified, she and her nurse even found resources to start her own business as a doula.
Desiray realized that she wanted to do even more and set a new goal of becoming a nurse and a Certified Nurse Midwife. A few weeks after graduating from Goodwill NFP, she began nursing school. As of August 2025, Desiray graduated with her degree in nursing and is looking forward to changing lives for families in Indiana.
“My nurse, Jennifer, emphasized empowerment by encouraging me to set meaningful goals and giving me the confidence to achieve them,” said Desiray. “Overall, Goodwill NFP has allowed me to build a stronger foundation for myself and my children, creating lasting benefits for our future.”
To learn more about Goodwill Nurse-Family Partnership, visit goodwillnfp.org.