AY
Andrea Yates
27quotes
Full Name and Common Aliases
Andrea Yates
Also known as Andrea Pia Yates
Birth and Death Dates
Born: April 16, 1964
Died: February 26, 2006 (by execution)
Nationality and Profession(s)
American
Former school teacher and mother of five children
Early Life and Background
Andrea Yates was born in Houston, Texas, to a family of modest means. Her early life was marked by struggles with anxiety and depression, which would later become recurring themes in her personal story. After graduating from high school, Andrea attended college for two years before dropping out to work as a waitress. She eventually married Rusty Yates, an engineer at NASA's Johnson Space Center, and the couple had five children together.
Major Accomplishments
Andrea was a devoted mother who prioritized her family above all else. Despite struggling with depression and anxiety, she managed to hold down a job as a school teacher and maintain a seemingly perfect suburban life. However, beneath the surface, Andrea's mental health struggles were escalating, and she began to experience severe symptoms of postpartum psychosis after the birth of her fifth child.
Notable Works or Actions
In 2001, Andrea drowned all five of her children in their bathtub, sparking widespread outrage and debate about maternal mental illness. The event was widely reported in the media, with many questioning whether Andrea's actions were a tragic manifestation of her untreated mental health conditions or a premeditated murder.
Impact and Legacy
The case drew national attention to the issue of postpartum psychosis and the need for greater awareness and support for new mothers struggling with mental illness. Andrea's story has been widely used as a cautionary tale about the devastating consequences of untreated mental health conditions, particularly in the context of motherhood.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Andrea Yates' story is remembered because it highlights the complexities and challenges faced by women struggling with mental illness during pregnancy and postpartum. Her tragic case has sparked important conversations about maternal mental health, advocating for greater awareness, support, and resources for new mothers.
Note: Andrea's story is often referenced in discussions around mental health, motherhood, and the importance of seeking help when struggling with personal demons.
Quotes by Andrea Yates
"
It was the seventh deadly sin. My children weren’t righteous. They stumbled because I was evil. The way I was raising them they could never be saved. They were doomed to perish in the fires of hell.
"
Severe mental illness like psychosis can lead to a tragedy like this – that people can see things that aren’t real and hear things that aren’t real and believe things that aren’t real, and act in that distorted reality.
"
The children were going to be tormented the rest of their lives, and they were going to perish in the fires of hell,
"
Andrea is more upset now than before because she is getting better and realizes what happened.
"
I remember little Paul, ... He had a boo-boo. Andrea put a Band-aid on it. It wasn't even a cut, but she was very loving.
"
They were not progressing the right way in school, and they had a problem with their manners, their social manners,
"
Apparently, patient and husband plan to have as many babies as nature will allow. This will surely guarantee psychotic depression.
"
Every step of the way, they've treated her like a serial killer for no reason -- a hardened serial killer. And she's not. She's a loving mother who became desperately ill and really did the unthinkable,
Showing 1 to 10 of 27 results