One of the wonderful aspects of living in the United States is that you can directly influence the government process at the local, state, and federal levels. This influence only requires passion and persistence. While the Preeclampsia Foundation is thrilled that our collective passion and persistence led to May 2013 becoming the first federally-recognized National Preeclampsia Awareness Month, our work is far from over. We still need your help to secure more state and local preeclampsia awareness proclamations.

You may be asking why a local or state proclamation has value if the federal government already designated the month of May for preeclampsia.

All policy work ultimately begins back home: educating elected officials about preeclampsia -- what it is, why research is needed to identify and prevent it, why new screening and diagnostic tests are essential to identifying and responding to it, and why access to prenatal care is essential to saving the lives of moms and babies. Your efforts to educate state and local officials will establish an educated crop of policymakers for years to come, whether many move on to greater levels in government, or they remain influential in state and local government and can also weigh-in with Congressional lawmakers.

You may have heard the expression "All politics is local." That's because a politician's success is directly tied to his or her ability to understand and influence the issues of his or her constituents. You are the "constituent." No one is more passionate about preeclampsia than a woman who has faced the disease or a family affected by it. Elected officials at all levels of government are bombarded with advocacy requests on every topic. But, public officials are elected by you and work for you; they listen to their constituents first and foremost.

Being an effective advocate for preeclampsia only requires that you share your story. Did you experience this dangerous disease? Did your pregnancy reach severe or critical status? Were you unaware that you had preeclampsia and went undiagnosed, hence putting yourself and your pregnancy at risk? Your advocacy can directly result in support for preeclampsia research funding, health education and literacy campaigns that help reach women and families, coverage for maternal health care services, and so much more.

Seeking a proclamation for your state or city is the first step to building a relationship with your elected officials.