For This Child I Prayed.....: Promise Walk, Charlotte, NC

On 5/19, we put on our walking shoes and walked to raise awareness for preeclampsia. We had so much fun. Wendy came along with us. The event was held at North Carbarrus Park off of Hwy 73...what a NICE park. We will definitely be going back to hang out. We all got t-shirts...even you! It was a beautiful day out and you rode in your stroller. Other than teething, you had a wonderful time. It was roughly a 2 mile walk on park trails, around a lake and through woods. Avery got to make a hand print on a poster, "The Hands That Preeclampsia Has Touched!" That part made mama tear up! From the bottom of our hearts, Thank you to everyone who donated money to help us raise awareness!

The Charlotte walk raised over $5,700. For our first year, this is amazing! As a whole, around the U.S., over $378,000.00 has been raised....THIS YEAR!!! That is money that goes directly to putting information in the hands of pregnant women...and money that goes directly helping doctor's know exactly what signs to look for...and research to find a cure!!

I will never forget the fear I felt when the doctor rushed in the room and told me if my blood pressure did not go down we were heading to the OR....or hearing the doctor tell me Avery did not have enough amniotic fluid to support her little life...or having my blood pressure jump so high I felt like my heart was about to explode...and having those horrid conversations that if it came down to it, we can have another baby, but we can't make another me, so the main goal was to take care of me...or finally being rushed for emergency c-section because my baby and myself were in too much distress due to my high blood pressure! For 6 weeks, if we made it to the next day, it was a success! Living in a hospital, those doctors and nurses became our family...and saved our lives!

So...for all the mother's who have lost their lives to preeclampsia, to all the mother's who have dealt and survived preeclampsia, and to all the mother's who will one day possibly go through this....here we are...walking for YOU...