Women in the United States are unnecessarily dying from pregnancy-related complications, including preeclampsia, at a higher rate than women in 47 other countries. Together we can work to put an end to preventable maternal deaths, but the Preeclampsia Foundation needs your help!
In March 2017, a bipartisan group of members of Congress introduced the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2017. To move the bill forward we urgently need your help -- we must ensure your House Representative agrees to support and cosponsor the legislation.
Members of Congress need to hear from you and your family to understand why it is necessary to identify proactive solutions to ensure no more moms or babies die from preeclampsia or other complications of pregnancy. This legislation will support states in identifying the root causes of maternal death and severe morbidity.
As a constituent, you have a powerful story to tell about your own experience, whether you have lost a loved one during the pre- or post-natal period, or whether your health and your baby's health were threatened by preeclampsia, eclampsia, or HELLP syndrome.
We need you to do two things -- 1) call your House Representative and 2) follow up with an email. To get you started, here are instructions on how to take action today!
Start your own Virtual Promise Walk for Preeclampsia!
No Promise Walk for Preeclampsia location near you? Do you lack the ability to make it through one of our local walk courses, but still want to make a difference?
Then join our "Virtual 2017 Promise Walk for Preeclampsia" from anywhere! Your donations will go toward our national goal to raise $460,000 toward lifesaving research and education for all pregnant women.
Then on Mother's Day (or any other day in May), go to your local park, mall, or other outdoor location and walk in solidarity with all the walks across the nation.
Go ahead and form a virtual team to fund-raise: You can even set a goal to run or walk a certain number of miles in honor of the 76,000 women and 500,000 babies who lose their lives each year to preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
AFLP can be confused with preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome
Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy (AFLP) is a relatively rare disorder that happens only during human pregnancy. It affects an estimated one in 10,000 to 20,000 pregnancies every year (≈.25-.5% of all pregnancies in the U.S.). For reasons not yet known, ALFP affects twin pregnancies more often than a single pregnancy, and male fetuses more often than female.
Despite its name, AFLP is not really acute or limited to affecting only the liver, but may affect other organs. It is usually diagnosed late in pregnancy before delivery, but can also occur right after delivery. Nearly half of AFLP cases present in a way that can be confused with preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. Learn more about AFLP from these
Frequently Asked Questions.
It's been nearly a year since Jennifer and Brian Dumaresq lost their son Shayne Granath Dumaresq to HELLP syndrome on April 19, 2016. At 24 weeks in the pregnancy, Jennifer experienced extreme shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and excruciating pain. She was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with HELLP syndrome, something Jennifer knew very little about, even as an emergency nurse.
"The loss of Shayne has inspired me to increase awareness for preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome," said Jennifer. "To commemorate our son, I am going to run a half marathon; I hope to raise money and awareness so that in the near future, no family has to feel the same heartache we do."
Like so many others, Jennifer and Brian are turning their heartache into hope by raising funds for the Preeclampsia Foundation to carry out our shared mission of saving the lives of moms and their babies. We thank them and all of our community for your passion.
Join our G.E.M. Program!
The Preeclampsia Foundation cordially invites you to join a special program for dedicated donors called
G.E.M. Short for
Giving
Every
Month, this program makes giving to the not-for-profit Foundation as convenient as possible for you and offers several
benefits.
Most importantly, turning your tax-deductible gift into monthly donations will make our shared mission of saving the lives of mothers and babies go even further. We do this by providing patient support and education, raising public awareness, catalyzing research, and improving healthcare practices.
As a G.E.M. member, you'll be with us every step of the way towards a world where preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy no longer threaten the lives of mothers and infants. We offer different giving levels for budgets of all sizes so be a real G.E.M. and join this special program today!
P.S.
Thanks for keeping in touch with the Preeclampsia Foundation!
Our patient education and research funding could not happen without you. If you like this content and want to get more out to families like yours, please make a gift at
preeclampsia.org/donate.
No Promise Walk for Preeclampsia location near you? Do you lack the ability to make it through one of our local walk courses, but still want to make a difference?
