Why aren't there any Preeclampsia Info Brochures?

[annegarrett]

I can't tell you how often I get asked that question...so it made some sense to dedicate a corner to the reality of our disease and getting the word out. The first reason is money. The Preeclampsia Foundation usually has less than $5,000 in its account any one month--that covers rent, sometimes some salary, phone calls, our website, legal fees, accounting fees, taxes, etc...We are barely making it from month to month. Yet while we struggle--the PF is the ONLY international organization dedicated to preeclampsia and the ONLY one in the USA. Internationally 6.6 MILLION women get this disease every year, in the USA 200-400,000 pregnancies are threatened by it. There were more deaths in the USA alone last year from preeclampsia/eclampsia than there were shark attacks in the entire world. Your risk of preeclampsia in pregnancy is at least 1:20, your risk of having a baby with Downs Syndrome is 1:250. So why are we struggling? I can't explain it. We had over 37,000 unique visitors to our website last month. We had over 2 MILLION hits. This month we are already passing that mark. The need is immense but we literally cannot do this without your support. In the USA 4 Million babies are born every year--7 M pregnancies. If the brochures cost 50 cents to make, send and distribute (what a miracle that would be) it would cost us $2 M. If we were to charge a dollar for every time you checked out the website--we would have made that much money last month. We could have a brochure. Right now--without corporate sponsorship--we just can't--and that means other women will find themselves in our shoes--having lost a baby, having nearly died, or even died, because we failed to prevent that. I can't accept that. I know we can do more. Please send this link to your friends and family and encourage them to send even $10 to the Preeclampsia Foundation. $10. That is 20 brochures. 20 women whose lives and babies you may have saved. Certainly worthwhile, if you ask me.

https://fp7.adhost.com/preeclampsia/donate.cfm

IF you would prefer not to donate online, please send your tax-deductible donation to

Preeclampsia Foundation
12727 NE 20th St., Suite 16
Bellevue, WA 98005

Thank you.

Anne Garrett
Executive Director
Preeclampsia Foundation

[seanh]

Anne,

Great idea to send out this message as an e-mail. It took me two seconds to forward it on to friends and family, and already several people have informed me that they will make a donation!!!

Sean

[annegarrett]

Thanks! Just an update--we got an amazing response to this and many people I know sent it on. Donations are coming in and people are sending in lots of good ideas and offers to help from everything to design to printing. I wanted to share one email from Doug Williams. Doug's sister-in-law Marianna died in December. It was so moving.

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To all in my email address book,
Below is a copy of an email I received from Anne Garrett, Executive Director, Preeclampsia Foundation. I am BCC (blind carbon copying) everyone on my email list. For people who don't think that something like this disease can hit you or someone you love (I was one of those), guess again. My brother (Stuart) and sister-in-law (Marianna) had been trying to have a baby for almost 8 years. She finally became pregnant and they couldn't have been happier. They did absolutely everything possible to make sure the baby was born healthy and had made many plans for their future together.
On December 16th, 2003, while they were relaxing at home just before dinner, Marianna suddenly became blind and collapsed. Her heart and breathing stopped. From the swelling (typical of preeclampsia)her throat was completely blocked. Stuart did everything he could to save her and paramedics rushed her to the best hospital in Phoenix by helicopter. The baby (Morgan Grace) was born 2 months premature at the hospital. Extensive testing confirmed the worse. Since Marianna (and as a result Morgan grace) had been without air for so long there was no hope of survival. Stuart was faced with the decision to take both his wife and daughter off life support at Christmas time. I would not wish that on my worst enemy.
I knew very little of this disease until this happened. I was stunned to learn how often this disease is misdiagnosed. Many people believe because we are a "strong Western nation" that all women here survive pregnancy. Guess again. The Preeclampsia Foundation has funded research and is trying to get out the word to other potential victims of this disease. This doesn't come free and donations are needed. If you can, please give. I ask that you forward it on to as many people as possible. It might even end up in a current pregnant friend's email. That friend might ask their doctor questions. That friend might also visit the Foundation's Web site at:

www.preeclampsia.org

and learn more about this disease.

I thank you for whatever you can do.

Doug Williams

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Thank you all. As one of my perinatologist doctor friends said, "We are not letting another woman die on our watch." Ladies--this is our watch.



Anne Garrett
Executive Director
Preeclampsia Foundation

[julie f]

Anne,
I have been sitting here trying to figure out how to start my email to family and friends - thank you for posting Doug's email.

Julie (27)
Zachary James, 7/22/03-7/27/03, born at 26wks - severe pe

Southern California Coordinator

[sandy]

Okay. I just sent it out to my playgroup, and I'll include others as I can think of who else to send it to.

Let the money continue to roll in!
:) Sandy.