Elsa von Hohenheim

Paracelsus was born in the village of Einsiedeln, Switzerland, in 1493. His mother died while he was still a boy, and some historians have speculated that she might have suffered from a mood disorder and even taken her own life, though no one knows for sure. Despite his prickliness with most people, Paracelsus was unusually sensitive towards the mentally ill, and a mother suffering from such a condition might explain that. Paracelsus traveled with his father to a different town, and not long after, he set out on his own for an education.

http://www.strangescience.net/paracelsus.htm