Last spring I gave birth to our first and only child, a healthy, beautiful baby boy we named Oakley. His birth was beautiful and joyous, but within hours my health took a steep downward turn. I spent my baby’s first days of life fighting for my own; my blood pressure shot through the roof, my platelets crashed to life-threateningly low levels, my liver swelled until I was at risk of organ rupture and my kidneys malfunctioned. I was diagnosed with a rare and severe form of preeclampsia called HELLP syndrome. I have only foggy memories of Oakley’s first days because I was so ill. I couldn’t even hold or nurse him without assistance. There is something very disorienting about nearly dying after birthing new life. My most vivid memory from my weeklong hospital stay was after talking to the doctor about my prognosis. I remember looking down at my tiny, perfect newborn with a sinking feeling in my stomach wondering if I would live to know him, and being terrified he’d never know how much I loved him. Oakley saved my life by choosing to be born at 39 weeks to the day. Had he come later I might not be here to share our story and ask for your support. Though I survived, many mothers and babies affected by preeclampsia and/or HELLP syndrome do not. Preeclampsia affects around 6-8% of pregnancies, and is a leading cause of maternal mortality in the U.S. Please consider donating to the Promise Walk Grand Rapids or directly to the Preeclampsia Foundation, which seeks to educate communities about hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, improve healthcare practices and ultimately find a cure.