Washington, D.C. Metro Area Family Making Strides to Raise Awareness of Preeclampsia

Washington, DC, April 08, 2016 --(PR.com)-- The Preeclampsia Foundation is pleased to announce that Kayla Nickey and her family are the Washington, D.C. Promise Walk for Preeclampsia™ Mission Family. As this year’s face of preeclampsia, the Nickey family will lead the Washington, D.C. Promise Walk by sharing their heartbreaking childbirth story and encouraging mothers in the area to raise awareness of serious pregnancy disorders. They hope to inspire families and businesses in the area to create teams to participate in the first Promise Walk on the National Mall on June 18, 2016 and raise money to fund lifesaving research into finding a cause and a cure for preeclampsia and related pregnancy disorders.

Kayla Nickey was only 22 weeks pregnant with her first child, Olivia, when she realized that something was seriously wrong. After seeing her obstetricians about her symptoms, she was immediately admitted into labor and delivery and told that she would need to deliver her daughter right away to save both their lives from severe preeclampsia.

“That night, I was induced, but it took two days for Olivia to make her entrance into our world,” Nickey said. “For 40 long seconds, the neonatal intensive care unit worked on Olivia. To our great heartbreak, our baby girl had passed away.”

Searching for more information about their family’s traumatic pregnancy experience, the Nickey family turned to the Preeclampsia Foundation as a source of information and support. Through the Foundation’s educational programs, Kayla and her family were able to learn about preeclampsia, and network with a community of preeclampsia survivors.

“We just couldn’t believe that the only cure for preeclampsia in 2015 started with delivery of our very premature baby,” said Nickey. She and her husband Eric knew that they needed to make a difference for others in memory of Olivia.

This year, Kayla is co-leading the Washington, DC Promise Walk on June 18 at the National Mall, alongside fellow volunteer Dawna Casanova. They have put in countless hours, energy and resources to ensure that others are supported through their preeclampsia experience.

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.

“I cannot express enough how thankful I am for this opportunity to turn Olivia’s short life and our loss into something that will bring hope to generations to come,” Kayla said. 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 represents the reason that our Foundation continues working to help save the lives of mothers and their babies,” explained Preeclampsia Foundation Executive Director Eleni Tsigas.

Nickey and her family will kick off the festivities and share their inspiring story at the Promise Walk for Preeclampsia, on June 18th at The National Mall. To register, visit www.promisewalk.org/washingtondc.

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, envisioning 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.