I volunteer for PF because ......

[fiona]

I'm here to honor my dead son's memory and remind myself how lucky I am to be alive and to have two living sons.

I'm here because I don't want any woman to lose their life or their baby because they never heard of preeclampsia.

I'm here because here I can talk about my history without feeling like a freak.

[laura]

I'm here because no one was there when I had my girl and I didn't know how to get back up and keep going after that freight train hit me. I want to make sure there's someone on the end of that phone to be that answer.

And I stay here for Nate, and Angel, and Aiden, and Katlyne, and Zack, and Griffin, and Isaiah, and Josiah, and Sebastian, and Sebanna, and Faith, and Tara, and Jake, and Grace, and Maggie, and Kelsi and all the other babies I'm internet auntie to because I love them and their mommas and they deserved better.

[catherine]

I'm here because there's no reason in the world why I shouldn't be the 1 in 150, or the 1 in 100,000... but if I had to be..and was lucky enough to have a healthy baby and to be healthy again.. then I have to do what I can to make sure that the numbers are 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000 by the time my girls want to make me a grandma!

[sandy]

Oh, Sue. :)

Thank you so much for starting this thread.

Reading the replies is motivating!

For me, so many of the already listed reasons...my girls will very well chose to be pregnant someday in the future, and I just can't sit back and wait for them to get to that point and to experience pregnancies like (or worse than) mine.

Preeclampsia has been around since the beginning of time. Why on earth haven't we figured out a way to manage it better in 2006?

The time is now.

Thank you, Sue, and to all of our other volunteers who spend so much of yourselves united for the same reason.

[missgamecock]

I'm here because I have a genetic link. My mother had it with all three of her pregnancies. My aunts have had it. My granddmothers have had it. I had it. I don't want either of my daughters to have it.

I am here because of all the babies/moms that are lost to this disease make me very angry and sad. No mommy should be without their child and no child should be without their mommy.

I am here because I didn't know what a toll PE takes. No one told me how serious it was. I didn't know that I or my baby could die from it. So I want to see women and drs educated.

I am here because someone somewhere needs a shoulder to lean on, needs info., or needs help right now. Maybe they will find the website. Maybe their life or their baby's life will be saved because one of us was able to convince them to get their tail into l&d or their dr.

This is one of the few places where I can talk about my experience, help others, and have people understand what I went through. No one here asks when I will get over it. No one here says, it couldn't have been that bad? No one here says you are crazy for wanting to try again. No one thinks I am wierd or crazy for talking about it. No one shies away from you because YOU were the person that had all those wierd pregnancy problems that they are afraid to get. No one thinks I am wierd here. :)

[jamilyn]

What a great topic.! I am here for many reasons posted already.
But to list a few...

I want to help other women who were like me and had never even hear the word Preeclampsia till the day i was diagnosed in the hospital. its something every pregnant woman is tested for in the Ob's office so its something every person should know about.

I also want to help find a cure so parents dont have to experience the pain of losing a child and also the pain of losing the mother.

[Dawn D]

great topic! I volunteer for PF for many reasons...forgive my long reply!

* TO RAISE AWARENESS: because I hope that some day when I discuss that my daughter was delivered early due to Preeclampsia I don't have to continue for 15+ minutes explaining this disorder OR correcting those who have an inaccurate understanding.

* AS THERAPY: because I want to have more children, but am frightened by the risks.

* IN HOPE that my efforts (combined with the efforts of all of you) will be a driving force in identifying positive preventions, ways to immediately manage the symptoms, and even a cure.

* PERSONAL REWARD: I enjoy organizing events and I believe that even small efforts can make a big difference.

*AS A RESOURCE for those with severe cases that are not relieved by delivery and carry on post-partum, baffling doctors.

* IN HONOR and IN MEMORY: because my little girl may one day want a child of her own, and because my heart breaks for those who have suffered loss due to PreE.

Thanks to all of you for the time and dedication you give!
_____________
Dawn (34)
Kirk (35)
Mya (4) delivered @ 30 wks/emer c-sec/ 3 lbs/ severe preE/ mommy remained severe and in hospital for 3 weeks post-partum

[caryn]

I'm here because I can't stand to read the wrong stuff any more -- there's just SO much misinformation about this disease out there.

I'm here because I can't bear the thought that another woman or baby could die if we weren't sharing what we know. We can catch some of them -- not enough, but some.

I'm here because it's just such a fascinating medical problem.

I'm here because y'all are all so cool. [:D]

[julie f]

Oh, I could go on and on... I'll try and keep this brief...[;)]

I'm here because an OB and and ER doc told me that there was nothing wrong with me - high bp, proteinuria, elevated liver enzymes, URQ pain - all meant nothing to me, it was "not a baby problem." I'm here because the next day I was admitted to the hospital with severe preeclampsia. I am here because my son is not.

I'm here because my second son is. Through the wonderful women here I found excellent medical care, I found tremendous support, I found some of my closest friends. I truly believe I hold my son today in large part because of the PF.

I will stay here because I need to tell as many women as I can about this disease, I need to do whatever I can to spare someone the heart ache of burying their child, their wife, their daughter, their mother. I will stay because I receive a blank look from people when I say the word "preeclampsia." I will stay because I STILL have doctors and nurses telling me untrue things about preeclampsia. I will stay because I owe it to my sons. I will stay because together, I know that we are making a difference.

Much love to all of you. This Foundation has been my "Saving Grace" more times than I can count.

[jenndola]

I volunteer because when I went to the ER with debilitating upper GI pain, they found elevated liver enzymes and sent me home, saying it was most likely a gallbladder problem.

I volunteer because when I got home from the hospital with no baby, I tried to look up HELLP Syndrome in my pregnancy books, and there weren't any entries.

I volunteer because whenever I tell someone about HELLP Syndrome, I get a blank look. So I tell them it's a severe form of Preeclampsia, and that look doesn't change. And I finally resort to telling them I had really bad toxemia.

I volunteer because I once had an OB tell me I should just adopt, and now I have a beautiful baby boy.

I volunteer in memory of Maggie, who should be starting 1st grade this year, but is instead a sweet memory of my beautiful baby girl.

I volunteer because it gives her loss a higher purpose.