I developed HELLP Syndrome, and my baby ended up being delivered via emergency C-section at just 29 weeks.

By the grace of God, we are both still here and doing well to tell the story.

The biggest lesson I learned through all of this is the importance of advocating for yourself and taking full responsibility for your own health. Just because you’re being told something is fine doesn’t mean you have to ignore the feeling in your gut that something isn’t right.

I had an OB/GYN appointment just six days before ending up in an ambulance on my way to an out of town hospital with a higher-level NICU. During that appointment, I was assured that the baby was healthy and there was nothing to be alarmed about. Luckily, I continued to call and message them to push for bloodwork and a urinalysis to test for preeclampsia.

Thank God I did.

Once those results came back, I got a call telling me to get to the emergency room immediately. The results were so shocking that my OB could hardly believe what she was reading. It turned out to be preeclampsia with severe features and HELLP Syndrome.

Thankfully, they were right that the baby was doing great. It was my body that was shutting down, and they had to act quickly to save our lives.

Within 20 minutes of arriving at the other hospital by ambulance, I was heading into surgery.

My body was so swollen that even simple things like placing an IV, a cathater, or drawing blood were incredibly difficult. The anesthesiologist told me his biggest concern was the swelling and how it could affect intubation. Since I’m a singer, he assured me he would do everything he could to protect my vocal cords, and to his credit, he did.

After the delivery, I didn’t get to see my son. I woke up to people congratulating me and inviting me to ring the celebratory nursery bell without ever having seen my baby. It was a full day before I got to see him and five days before I got to hold him. It was such a surreal experience to be congratulated on having a baby you hadn’t even gotten to meet yet.

The day I finally got to see him, my legs felt like Jell-O from the magnesium drip, but I was determined. I got out of bed, into a wheelchair, and they wheeled me to the NICU to meet my precious baby boy. From the moment they finally let me hold him, I held him every chance I got - and I still do.

I’m so grateful to the team at Crouse who took such incredible care of both of us. Today, Henry is a thriving, happy, and healthy five-month-old.

I share my story because I want people to be aware of the warning signs and to remember to listen to their bodies when something doesn’t feel right. Don’t be afraid to sound the alarm over and over again if you feel something is wrong. I called countless times. I created charts and graphs. I sent messages through MyChart. I kept pushing until the problem was diagnosed.

My main symptom was rapid weight gain out of nowhere with severe swelling in my face, hands, legs, and feet. My Face ID on my phone didn’t even recognize me.

Along with that, I experienced severe nausea, chills, difficulty emptying my bladder, a new spot in my vision, and a slight headache.

You’re not annoying for advocating for yourself - especially when advocating for yourself also means advocating for your little one.