- 1 in 7 women experience postpartum depression, and Omaha-founded Shero is building a sisterhood to make sure mothers don't face it alone.
- Shero's AI companion Shanice gives mothers a judgment-free space to open up and connects them with resources ranging from utilities to mental health support.
- Shero's goal is advocacy, not replacement — the organization is clear that it exists to support mothers alongside doctors, therapists, and other medical professionals, not in place of them.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Lindsay Clancy trial has put postpartum depression in the national spotlight, and a new tool out of Omaha is working to make sure mothers don't face it alone.
According to Cleveland Clinic, 1 in 7 women experience postpartum depression. The Shero app, founded in Omaha by Dr. Renaisa Anthony, is working to address those challenges through community — and now, artificial intelligence.
At the center of that effort is Shanice, an AI companion built into the app that gives mothers a judgment-free space to open up.
Shaelyn Plater, a Shero mom and mother of 4, knows that struggle firsthand. Her depression began two years before motherhood, following the death of her brother. After the birth of her first son, she said the weight became even harder to carry.
"A lot of me, not wanting to get up to do anything. Um, I can honestly say my house has been a mess. Um, it's more so of me not having the strength," Plater said.
For Plater, talking to an app can feel easier than opening up to the people closest to her.
"I don't feel like I could talk to friends and family 'cause friends and family judge. You know, everybody is not perfect. Everybody go through things, and when you go through things, and you reach out to friends and family, they just, they help, or they'll give some type of input, but at the end, they're still judging you," Plater said.
Shero was founded with a straightforward mission: create a sisterhood where new and expecting mothers don't have to struggle in silence.
"When you're pregnant, and you're postpartum, you got a space, and you got a family, here at Shero," Anthony said.
Buffy Bush, Director of Shero Omaha, said the organization was built around a recognized need in the community.
"She worked here, and she saw the need, and our black families, and our black moms," Bush said.
Shanice's support extends beyond motherhood questions, helping connect mothers with resources for everything from utilities to mental health. But Bush is clear about the app's role.
"We're not here to replace doctors. We're not here to replace therapists. We're not here to replace any of the gynecologists or any of that. No, we're here to advocate," Bush said.
For Plater, that kind of support makes a real difference.
"Knowing that someone is there in my corner, and I'm not facing, everything alone I love it," Plater said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
