In July 2023, I found out I was pregnant. I had a pretty normal pregnancy. I had some bleeding around 13 weeks, but everything was okay. I was started on baby aspirin to lower the risk of pre-eclampsia.

Around 23–24 weeks, the headaches and swelling started. I thought it was just normal pregnancy stuff, especially since it was my first baby. I stayed home from work to rest because the headache was getting worse. The headache went away, so I didn’t think anything more of it. A few days later, the headache was coming back. I checked my blood pressure and it was around 140/90.
 
I am one of the lucky ones who has doctors who listen and immediately sent to the hospital. I stayed for a few hours being monitored, and received a steroid injection to help with our baby’s lung development. After my blood pressure stabilized, I was sent home.

At my next appointment the following day, my blood pressure was still elevated. It was also confirmed that there was protein in my urine. My doctor told me that I could not return to work and needed to rest to make sure my baby stayed put for as long as possible.
 
That weekend was Christmas. I was still struggling to breathe, and my feet were getting more and more swollen. By the morning of December 26th, I knew something wasn’t right. I called my doctor, explaining the difficulty breathing, and she again said to go to the hospital right away.
 
I knew it was bad from the minute I was admitted into a room. I was constantly surrounded by so many doctors. My blood pressure was over 200, and the headache was unbearable. An x-ray of my chest confirmed pulmonary edema. The amount of protein in my urine was extremely high, and my liver was starting to show symptoms.
 
By that night, the only thing to do to try to save mine and my baby's lives was to deliver. I was taken for an emergency C section at 25.4 weeks. They tried to numb me, but nothing happened because of all the swelling. I needed to be put under general anesthesia. My husband couldn’t be there to see our son be born, and I would be asleep for it.
 
I woke up to the news that Lincoln Reed Gaspard was born weighing 1 lb 6 oz, and he was doing well. The most beautiful baby boy I had ever seen.
 
The day after delivery, I started to lose my vision, which was from all of the swelling and pressure still in my body. Other than that, all of my symptoms were gone. My headache was gone, my blood pressure was stable, and I was able to breathe again. I was discharged the following day.
 
We went back to the NICU every day. Lincoln had good days and bad days, but overall, he was making improvements. He was gaining weight, using the bathroom, and tolerating his feedings well. On his 28th day, it was decided that he would come off his ventilator the next day because of how well he was doing.
 
At 4 a.m. the next morning, we got a call that they suspected Lincoln had an infection. We rushed in to see him and were heartbroken to see his condition. The doctors decided that emergency surgery was his best chance. They told us that without surgery, he wouldn’t make it through the day; with surgery, he still probably wouldn't, but there was a chance.
 
Lincoln did well during surgery, and doctors were cautiously optimistic about his recovery. Once he was stable, my husband and I went home to shower and planned on coming back right away. As soon as we walked in our front door, our phone rang. They were in the process of trying to resuscitate Lincoln. We rushed back to the hospital. While we were in the car, we got the call that they had gotten him back and he was stable again.
 
We spent as much time with him as possible before his heart was slowing and they had to begin resuscitating again.
 
Lincoln passed away on his 29th day of life, in our arms, surrounded by so much love. Lincoln will be remembered, honored, and loved forever. The strongest boy we’ve ever met.
 
Pre-eclampsia changed our lives forever, and we don’t know what our