Melbourne, FL –– Preeclampsia survivors and their supporters from across the United States will hit the pavement on Saturday, August 24, 2024, as part of the fifth annual Promise Walk Wherever virtual event to benefit the Preeclampsia Foundation. This year, three-time preeclampsia survivor, Kelceymarie Warner, who is known for her popular TikTok videos will be joining the event as its Honorary Chair.

Preeclampsia is a leading cause of premature birth, and for Kelceymarie, the warning signs in her fourth pregnancy began at 24 weeks.

“I knew something was wrong. My blood pressure started to rise, I occasionally saw flecks in my vision, and my face and hands were becoming puffy,” said Warner. “My provider wasn’t concerned, but having been down this road twice before, I KNEW something was off. It was incredibly frustrating. I felt like people thought I was being dramatic or attention-seeking because I went in for blood pressure checks so often, and I felt like my concerns were being dismissed.”

Preeclampsia, which is a potentially dangerous condition of pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure and organ dysfunction, can be difficult to diagnose. Its symptoms, which include severe headache, swelling, weight gain, nausea and vomiting, and upper right quadrant pain, often seem like “normal” pregnancy woes.

Kelceymarie spoke up for herself as an empowered patient when a few weeks later, she found out that her unborn daughter showed signs of interuterine growth restriction (IUGR). She insisted on a referral to a high risk maternal fetal medicine specialist, who decided to admit her to a hospital for the safety of her and her baby. Two hours later, she was rushed in for an emergency c-section at just shy of 30 weeks pregnant.

Preeclampsia is more common in first-time pregnancies, but can occur in any pregnancy. Those like Warner, who have had preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy, are also at elevated risk for developing it again.

“Two hours later, I was being wheeled into an operating room, and my husband was asked to wait outside while they prepped me. I have never felt so sick or so close to death in my life,” said Warner. “A real part of me felt like I was going to die. This was it—the third time was the charm, and it was going to kill me.”

Thankfully, Warner and her youngest daughter Madeleine made it through delivery safely – but Madeleine spent the next 85 days in the neonatal intensive care unit. She came home with a feeding pump and O2 monitor, needing vigilant care for multiple months. Warner found comfort in the community and education provided by the Preeclampsia Foundation.

“Our Promise Walk Wherever is a great opportunity for families affected by preeclampsia and our supporters like Kelceymarie to connect virtually, share their experiences, and help fund research to hopefully one day find a cure that could have prevented premature births like Madeleine’s,” said Preeclampsia Foundation CEO Eleni Z. Tsigas. “The traumatic nature of the preeclampsia experience on moms, their partners, and their families makes the connection, education and community they find here vital to their healing.”

Everyone is invited to join Kelceymarie’s team or start their own to support research funding. For more information on Promise Walk Wherever and to register for the event, log on to the Promise Walk website.

About the Preeclampsia Foundation

The Preeclampsia Foundation is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2000 to improve the outcomes of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by educating, supporting, and engaging the community, improving healthcare practices, and finding a cure. We envision a world where preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy no longer threaten the lives of mothers and babies. For more information, visit www.preeclampsia.org.