Making Strides to Raise Awareness of Preeclampsia

Central/Northern New Jersey Making Strides to Raise Awareness of Preeclampsia

Cranford, NJ – Advocates for the Preeclampsia Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing maternal and infant illness and death due to preeclampsia, a life-threatening disorder of pregnancy related to high blood pressure, will be participating in and raising money for the Foundation’s annual The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia™. The annual event happens around the country to support innovative research and raise public awareness about the warning signs of preeclampsia.

TheCentral/Northern New Jersey Promise Walk for Preeclampsia will take place on Sunday, May 20, at Oak Ridge Park in Clark, New Jersey.

The Central/Northern NJ walk day event is once again organized by Springfield residents and mother-daughter team, Stephanie and Marissa Steiner. The day will include a family-friendly walk, raffle prizes, and complimentary food. Larry Bloomstein will serve as guest speaker – Larry lost his wife Lauren just hours after the delivery of their first daughter Hailey due to HELLP syndrome, a severe variant of preeclampsia. He shared his family’s story as the Promise Walk for Preeclampsia Mission Family in 2013 and has since become a strong advocate for the Preeclampsia Foundation and maternal health.

The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia, with the tagline “Making Strides, Delivering Hope,” makes a clear connection with the mission of the Preeclampsia Foundation – a commitment to better outcomes for those whose lives have been or will be touched by preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. That “promise” includes ensuring education and awareness for allpregnant women and funding research to identify a cure for the condition.

“Preeclampsia survivors are bringing wonderful awareness to communities across the country through the Promise Walk,” said Preeclampsia Foundation National Events Manager, Marty Mercado. “We are very excited to continue this momentum in 2018, since we know that greater awareness and knowledge results in healthier birth outcomes for mom and baby.”

For Central/Northern New Jersey, this will be the 8th year they have produced a walk, attracting an unprecedented number of walkers/supporters with the 2018 goal of raising $30,000 dollars locally towards helping women and their infants who suffer from the devastating effects of preeclampsia.

“May is National Preeclampsia Awareness Month, deliberately chosen to coincide with Mother’s Day,” explained Preeclampsia Foundation CEO Eleni Tsigas. “Almost 300,000 women each year are affected by preeclampsia, with approximately 25 percent of those resulting in serious adverse outcomes to either mother, baby or both.”

This year’s local sponsors include New Jersey Perinatal Associates, RWJ OB/GYN Associates, Saint Barnabas Medical Center/RWJ BarnabasHealth, and Gymboree Play & Music.

To register or donate, visitwww.promisewalk.org/newjersey. Walk-up registrations will be accepted on the day of the Promise Walk event, but pre-registration is strongly encouraged.