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For Immediate Release
House Family Named the Pittsburgh Promise Walk for Preeclampsia Mission Family to Help Calls Attention to Serious Pregnancy Disorder Affecting Mothers, Babies
Pittsburgh, PA – <June 28, 2015> – The Preeclampsia Foundation is pleased to announce that Marian House and her family are the 2015 Pittsburgh Promise Walk for Preeclampsia™ Mission Family. As this year’s face of preeclampsia, the House Family will lead the Promise Walk campaign by sharing their tragic childbirth story, and encouraging teams around the city to meet or exceed their fundraising goals.
The Preeclampsia Foundation has given the House Family a mission to help educate others so they do not have to go through such heart ache.
Marian House knew from the onset something was just not right. She was short of breath and extremely tired all the time. Marian was tested for preeclampsia and the test was negative in the beginning. One day her blood pressure was 181/110 the RN at work advised her to call the OB immediately Marian was admitted shortly after, at just 22 weeks. Ten days later, Marian was induced and on February 4, 2015, she delivered her angel son. During what would be Marian’s darkest hours, she was surrounded by the nurses on the maternity floor and Dr. Branis who turned out to be her angels. Like many whom suffer from severe preeclampsia, at four months post-partum, she is not just dealing with heartache from the loss of her son but still is unable to regulate her blood pressure. Seeking more information about their family’s traumatic pregnancy experience, House Family turned to the Preeclampsia Foundation website and the Promise Walk for Preeclampsia as a source of information and to receive support.
The Preeclampsia Foundation is the only national nonprofit patient advocacy organization for the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Through their national fundraising event The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia, the Preeclampsia Foundation works to achieve its mission to provide patient support and education, raise public awareness, catalyze research and improve health care practices.
Through the Foundation’s educational programs, Marion House and her family were able to learn about preeclampsia, and network with a community of preeclampsia survivors.
Marian House believes that if she had been better educated herself about preeclampsia, she may have been able to ask more frequently for monitoring or checks. Preeclampsia is unknown to so many, the House Family feels it to be part of their future to educate people. She hopes she can use her family’s experience to help others dealing with preeclampsia.
“This family is the face of the mission for the Promise Walk and represent the reason that our Foundation continues working to help save the lives of mothers and their babies,” explained Preeclampsia Foundation Executive Director Eleni Tsigas.
Marion House and her family will kick off the festivities and share their inspiring story at the 2015 Promise Walk for Preeclampsia, on July 12, 2015 at Central High School. There will be activities for the children, lunch, raffles and more. To register, visit www.promisewalk.org/pittsburgh
About Preeclampsia: Preeclampsia is a disorder that occurs during pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period, and affects both the mother and the fetus. It is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by elevated blood pressure and protein in the urine; other symptoms may include swelling in the hands and face, headaches, and visual disturbances. Preeclampsia affects the mother’s kidneys, liver and other vital organs and, if undetected or untreated, can lead to seizures (eclampsia), cerebral hemorrhage, failure in vital organs and death. The cause of preeclampsia is still not fully understood, and the only cure for the condition begins with delivery. Approximately five to eight percent of pregnancies are affected by preeclampsia, which, in the United States, translates to approximately 300,000 pregnancies. It is a leading cause of preterm birth, and is responsible for approximately 76,000 maternal deaths and half a million infant deaths worldwide annually. There are several types of preeclampsia, including HELLP syndrome, a particularly dangerous variant.
About the Preeclampsia Foundation: The Preeclampsia Foundation is the only national nonprofit patient advocacy organization for the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Through their national fundraising events the Promise Walk for Preeclampsia™, the Preeclampsia Foundation works to achieve its mission to provide patient support and education, raise public awareness, catalyze research and improve health care practices. We envision a world where preeclampsia no longer threatens the lives of mothers and babies. Knowing the warning signs can lead to more timely diagnosis and better outcomes. For more information on the Foundation’s ongoing mission and resources, please visit www.preeclampsia.org.
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Contact:
Jenn Stuber, Walk Coordinator
Tel: (724) 612-8154
Email: pittsburgh2@preeclampsia.org