A social worker at the hospital reported the episode to the Administration for Children’s Services. Ms. Gardner said her mother was granted custody of her daughter after she was born in September 2004 .

For a time, Ms. Gardner was in and out of hospitals as she continued to struggle with her mental health . Her mother was granted custody of her second daughter, who was born in 2007. Ms. Gardner has full custody of her youngest daughter, born in 2013. The two now live together in Astoria, Queens.

“It’s rough being a mom when you have this condition,” Ms. Gardner said. At times, she would be hospitalized for up to three months, causing her to miss significant milestones in her children's lives — a baby’s first steps, for instance, or the loss of a first baby tooth.

Her illness forced her to take extensive medical leaves from school, and she eventually dropped out.

Ms. Gardner said she also endured difficult relationships. “My self-esteem went down to the dumps,” she said. “I didn’t want to go outside. I didn’t want to do anything.”

Mental health issues prevented Ms. Gardner from maintaining a steady employment history for much of her adult life. In 2017, she started working as a direct support professional , preparing meals for developmentally disabled adults and helping them with daily tasks, like cleaning and bathing.

Last year, she was feeding a client who had a broken shoulder when a colleague noticed that Ms. Gardner’s mouth was twitching and contorted on one side . Ms. Gardner feared that she might be having a stroke and called for an ambulance. She learned she had bradycardia, or a slow heartbeat, and arrhythmia, and was given a pacemaker.