On May 31, 2018, I went for my routine prenatal appointment, excited to be nearing the end stages of my pregnancy only to find that the end was closer than I realized. During my visit, my doctor discvovered that my blood pressure was extrememly high and indicated that she thought it was Preeclampsia and instead of delivering at 40 weeks, I would possibly be delivering that day. She gave me a kit to monitor my pressure and protein for a few days to check my levels and see if my pressure would go down. Unfortunately, it did not and, as a result of the Preeclampsia, I was induced to deliver my son at 36 weeks and 6 days.
Prior to becoming pregnant, I had heard about Preeclampsia but never realized, until faced with it myself, how serious and life threatening this can be for, both, mother and child. Fortunately, on June 5, 2018, I was able to deliver a healthy baby and neither one of us had any serious complications. However, as I've learned more recently, that is not always the case. Preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are estimated to be responsible for 76,000 maternal and 500,000 infant deaths each year. Later that year, I learned that one of my old dance friends, excited to be having her first child, unfortunately, became a part of the statistic when she lost her unborn son to Preeclampsia and HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, Low Platelet count).
The scariest part of this for me, outside of the threat it posed to my and my son's health, was the fact that I had no symptoms. Like many other women, I felt completely fine. These disorders are far more common in pregnancies than they see and, unfortunatley, can be silent killers. Because of this, I want to do my part in helping women and families understand and, hopefully, proactivtely combat these issues. So, I've decided to support my friend in helping the Preeclampsia Foundation to raise awarness and fund research.
On Saturday May 16, 2020 at Gunpowder Falls State Park, Hammerman Area, 7200 Graces Quarters Rd. Middle River, MD 21220, I will be participating in the First Baltimore Promise Walk for the Preeclampsia Foundation.
Please consider making a donation by selecting 'DONATE NOW' or TEXT BMOREPW to 50155 and select Team Ezra