Thanks for taking the time to look at my Just Giving page.

Action on Pre-Eclampsia and York Special Care Baby Unit are the Tadcaster
Harriers Running Club charities of the year for 2019. Throughout the year, the club will be raising money for these two special charities.

On the 28^th of April 2019 I will be running the London Marathon to raise money for Action On Pre-eclampsia. On Wednesday the 23rd of May I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is a condition that affects some pregnant women,usually during the second half of pregnancy. Early signs of pre-eclampsia include having high blood pressure and protein in your urine. It's unlikely that someone will notice these signs, but they should be picked up during your routine
antenatal appointments. In my case, they weren’t and following admission to hospital I was told I would have to remain in hospital until my baby had arrived safely. My due date was a couple of months away which made it a very worrying situation.

On Sunday 27^th May, my condition deteriorated and it was clear it had become unmanageable. The pre-eclampsia developed into “hellp syndrome” which made it a life threatening situation. The staff tried to keep me calm (to keep my blood pressure down) but I was able to sense that everything wasn’t going to be as straight forward and my blood pressure rocketed to 200/101 and my condition began deteriorating rapidly.

I was taken to the labour ward (and who can forget being pumped with magnesium sulphate – this lowers the risk of having an eclamptic
seizure). I was rushed for an emergency c-section and shortly after my baby was born weighing just 3.4lb. It was a stressful yet special time. I myself was in hospital for 10 nights. It physically and mentally affects you. After three weeks in York special care baby unit (SCBU), we could all go home as a family.
I am so grateful that we are all fit and well and the staff made the right call at the right time.

I want to raise money for APEC as no one should have to suffer with this horrendous condition. Pre-eclampsia affects up to 10% of first time pregnancies with severe pre-eclampsia affecting about 1-2
in 100. Pre-eclampsia is usually mild, but 1-2 in every 100 first pregnancies is so severely affected that there is a serious risk to the life of the baby and even the mother. Every year in the UK about 1000 babies die because of pre-eclampsia many of these as a consequence of premature delivery rather than the disease itself. Some 1-2 mothers die each year from complications of pre-eclampsia in the UK. The global mortality rate of HELLP syndrome has been reported to be as
high as 25%.

It's critical for expecting mothers and their family and friends to be aware of any symptoms. Fundraising to help both research this condition and support those affected is vital.



Thanks for reading and please consider donating!