Throughout the month of May, Project Angel Heart and the American Heart Association are teaming up to support moms experiencing high-risk pregnancy.

Through our Heart to Heart for Moms campaign, our goal is to raise $50,000 to prepare and deliver more than 4,000 medically tailored meals to expectant moms experiencing high-risk pregnancy. Join us and help make a difference for moms in need.

Hypertension is the second-leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Fortunately, tailored nutrition before and during pregnancy can help improve blood pressure and pregnancy outcomes.

Alyssa’s Story

With no prior diagnosis and no apparent symptoms, Alyssa was in complete shock when she learned she was living with stage four kidney disease. Alyssa’s kidneys were functioning at only fifteen percent. Then just months after receiving her diagnosis and starting treatment, Alyssa was again shocked with more unexpected news. She was pregnant.

As her kidney disease and her pregnancy progressed, she became extremely fatigued. She had developed hypertension, which sapped her energy and made it hard for her to catch her breath. She would get winded doing everyday activities like walking, and cooking became a major challenge. That’s when Alyssa’s social worker told her she could help her apply for Project Angel Heart meals.

“I wanted to be able to cook healthy meals but being visually impaired and a pregnant mama on dialysis, that was really hard,” said Alyssa. “When I found out I was going to get meals delivered to my door every week, it felt like a huge weight lifted off of me, especially when they told me I could also get meals for my daughter.”

This support would soon become even more important…

During Alyssa’s second trimester, she developed the life-threatening HELLP Syndrome, a variant of preeclampsia, that causes problems with the liver, bleeding, and even more challenges with blood pressure.

Doctors had to perform an emergency cesarean section on Alyssa to deliver her son, Noah. He was born prematurely at 26 weeks. With her son in the NICU—and breastfeeding—and continuing to receive dialysis, Alyssa needs her energy for herself and her baby.

“We spend almost all day at the hospital now, so it’s very helpful when we come home, and we can just pull a healthy meal out of the freezer, heat it up, and it’s ready. It keeps me going and I’m grateful,” she said.

You can help more moms like Alyssa. Donate today and make a difference for moms experiencing high-risk pregnancy.