I walk because preeclampsia changed our lives forever.

At 33 weeks pregnant, what started as a normal day, turned into an emergency.  

My blood pressure had climbed to 160/110, and I was advised to go to the hospital immediately. There, I was diagnosed with preeclampsia with severe features. In an instant, our world was turned upside down. Instead of preparing to welcome my son, I was suddenly fighting for both of our lives.

Eli was born by emergency C-section, 7 weeks early, weighing just 2 pounds, 14 ounces. I was able to see him for only a single minute through the walls of his incubator, before he was rushed to an alternate hospital because he required a higher level of care. I couldn't hold him. I couldn't go with him. Instead, we were separated for six agonizing days while I remained hospitalized.

What many people don't realize, is that delivery isn't always the end of the battle with preeclampsia. For me, it was only the beginning. During my hospitalization, I developed heart failure caused by preeclampsia, acute kidney injury, and even trauma induced delirium. While Eli fought to grow stronger in the NICU, I was fighting to recover so I could finally be with him.

Eli spent 35 days in the NICU, proving every day just how resilient such a tiny baby could be. Looking at him now, it's hard to believe that the little boy who weighed just 2 pounds, 14 ounces has grown into the incredible child he is today.

As a nurse practitioner, I understand the science behind preeclampsia. As a mother, I know its devastation. I know what it feels like to have your life change in an instant, to meet your baby for only a moment before they're taken away, and to wonder if you'll both make it home.

We were one of the lucky ones.

I walk in gratitude—for the physicians, nurses, and NICU staff who cared for us, for the research that continues to improve outcomes, and for every family who shares their story so others feel less alone.

Most of all, I walk for Eli. I walk for the mothers who never got to bring their babies home, for the babies who never got the chance to grow up, and for a future where no family has to endure what preeclampsia can take away.