Indianapolis Promise Walk for Preeclampsia

Our date is set for September 26th! Registration is free! Start or join a team today! Tag a friend to walk with! 💜

https://secure.qgiv.com/event/2026promisewalk/classification/298057/?fbclid=IwRlRTSAP4zBhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEedOCe6eNUbnssQaqebo_YTCBpKaoWKRKURdL3U6mmKpE66YPRNrqErq6Jnfs_aem_v7fOQ5vxX6P2KO4HgDyS8g

💜 Our date is set for September 26! Register or join a team today! 🏃‍♀️

https://secure.qgiv.com/event/2026promisewalk/classification/298057/?fbclid=IwRlRTSAP4zBhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEedOCe6eNUbnssQaqebo_YTCBpKaoWKRKURdL3U6mmKpE66YPRNrqErq6Jnfs_aem_v7fOQ5vxX6P2KO4HgDyS8g

We are so excited for the Indy Promise Walk! Start a team today! 💜

Sign up link in comments! 💜

We honor. We remember.

What is your story? Comment below with the corresponding heart 💙💜💛💚❤️💗

🌟 Join the Indianapolis Promise Walk 2026 Planning Committee! 🌟
Be part of something powerful — make a difference for families impacted by preeclampsia!

We’re gearing up for another incredible Indianapolis Promise Walk for Preeclampsia, and we need passionate, enthusiastic volunteers to help make the 2026 Walk our best one yet!

💜 Why Join?
Help raise awareness and funds for the Preeclampsia Foundation
Connect with other dedicated, inspiring community members
Gain valuable event planning, fundraising, and leadership experience
Honor and support those affected by preeclampsia — including survivors, families, and advocates

Committee Roles Include:
📋 Event Planning & Logistics
💰 Sponsorship & Fundraising
📣 Marketing & Social Media
🗣️ Storytelling & Community Outreach
🤝 Volunteer Coordination

📅 Get Involved!
The committee meets monthly or bi-monthly virtually and collaborates throughout the year to make the walk unforgettable.

💌 Ready to Make an Impact?
👉 Join us!

Email [email protected] to get started or message us here!

Let’s walk together to honor, remember, and take action.

For today's we are sharing Gloria's story with

Gloria writes, "I went for a doctor’s appointment and they thought their BP cuff was broken. My blood pressure was through the roof!

They sent me straight to the hospital for monitoring. I was admitted and put on a magnesium drip right away. There was nothing I would not do to help my baby. After a couple of days, I was let go but with a strong monitoring plan in place. My urine was monitored for protein. Sadly, after a couple of weeks with my protein in my urine getting higher and higher, it was determined that the hospital was the only safe place for my baby and I. I was closely monitored in the hospital. Daily blood draws and by 26 weeks our condition had deteriorated to the point that baby Josiah was safer outside of my womb than inside. [. . .]

He was born on November 12th, 2003 via emergency C Section. His trajectory in the NICU is the hardest thing my husband and I have ever experienced. We understand true grief, now. Baby Josiah lived for 22 days in the NICU. He fought so hard. It broke our heart!!! We were completely devastated. Our marriage grew stronger but we could no longer live in that house that we were so joyfully preparing for him. We ended up moving states and starting a new life.

Two years later we adopted internationally and that was Josiah’s gift to another child. That same year, I got pregnant by accident. Preeclampsia DID rear its ugly head again but it came later and I am happy to report that Josiah’s brother- Jeffrey is with us today. He just turned 19 and we are so grateful for our million dollar babies, including our angel in heaven. Jeffrey means “a gift of peace”. And this is why we picked the name."

Read more: https://www.preeclampsia.org/our-stories/josiah

Women who had preeclampsia have 3-4x the risk to develop high blood pressure. This does not mean you are guaranteed to develop high blood pressure later in life, but it can be a heads up. You didn't cause preeclampsia or the long term risks it carries, but you can make steps today to take care of your health. Learn more: www.preeclampsia.org/faqs #preeclampsia #preeclampsiaawareness #preeclampsiafoundation #preeclampsiaresearch #hellpsyndrome #hellpsyndromeawareness #hellpsyndromesurvivor #eclampsia #eclampsiaawareness #eclampsiasurvivor #maternalhealth #pregnancy #postpartum #highriskpregnancy #postpartumpreeclampsia #postpartumpreeclampsiaawareness #postpartumpreeclampsiasurvivor #laboranddelivery #labornurse #maternalnurse #obgyn #mfm

For today's we are sharing Maribeth's story with

"As I was greeting my students before the next class period, I found myself leaning on the wall, hands on my knees, suddenly weak. I jogged to the school nurse, and asked her to take my blood pressure (I knew nothing about blood pressure other than that a few times in my life, I had fainted or nearly fainted from low blood pressure, so I was vaguely familiar of that “off” feeling). It was high. She suggested I call my doctor and they told me to head to the emergency room.

At the hospital, my blood pressure was still elevated but less so than it was at work. They sent me home and told me to hang in there for a couple more weeks until my next appointment. The weekend came and it full of celebrations and activities. I didn’t feel or look my best, but I “hung in there,” believing that everything must be ok.

On Saturday night, however, I couldn’t sleep. Intense body aches and shoulder pain kept me pacing all night. I vomited, which convinced me it was a stomach bug. Sunday was Easter, and I stayed home most of the day. My mom, who is a nurse and was working all day, stopped by my house with her blood pressure monitor after work. Another high reading, exceptionally high, according to my mom.

Back at the hospital. Luckily, my OB was on call. She sat at my feet and said “Maribeth, you have preeclampsia and it’s severe. It may be days or weeks, but you are not leaving this hospital until the baby comes.” I barley had time to process the shock when she returned to say I had to be transferred to another hospital in town. It was HELLP syndrome and the baby would be born in a matter of a few days, maybe even hours. My hospital’s NICU couldn’t take a preemie this small, and she didn’t want us to be separated."

Read more: https://www.preeclampsia.org/our-stories/maribeths-story

Thanks Forbes for featuring "the other half" of the pregnancy story and the impact preeclampsia can have on Dads. This article features our friends at Mirvie's cofounders.

"When Maneesh Jain’s wife went into what was supposed to be routine labor nearly 20 years ago, he was shocked by how quickly everything unraveled. “It went from a normal pregnancy to an emergency C-section in a matter of minutes,” he recalled. “And I was left wondering, how is it that we know so little about something that matters so much?”

For Dr. Steve Quake, a similar moment came when his first daughter was born a month early. “It really shook me,” he said. “That’s what drew me into maternal and fetal health. At the time, we had an amniocentesis done—and that’s what started me down the path to develop non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT).”

Both men, scientists by training and fathers by life experience, were driven by their daughters’ births to solve one of medicine’s most neglected problems: the inability to predict serious pregnancy complications before they strike. [ . .]

This Father’s Day, Jain and Quake are proof that parenthood doesn’t just change lives—it can help save them. What began as fear in a delivery room has turned into a mission to protect millions of families from the dangers of preeclampsia. With science, empathy, and a deep commitment to change, these two dads are giving maternal health the attention—and innovation—it deserves."

Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/geristengel/2025/06/11/how-two-fathers-turned-personal-crisis-into-preeclampsia-innovation/