LetsTalk PPCM

Meet Latifah:
By looking at the photo above, could you believe she was in full-blown heart failure?

After welcoming her son in 2021, Latifah was diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a rare form of heart failure that can develop during the last month of pregnancy or in the months following delivery. What should have been one of the happiest moments of her life quickly became a fight for survival. Through faith, resilience, and God's grace, she overcame one of the most difficult battles she had ever faced.

Now, five years later, another unexpected chapter has unfolded. At 36wks pregnant with her third child, she is on bed rest while navigating a high-risk pregnancy. As she prepares to welcome her baby, she is also carrying the weight of financial hardship after losing her job because of her pregnancy and facing the sudden loss of the support she depended on most. Instead of spending these final weeks focused on her growing family, she is worrying about how to keep up with everyday expenses and prepare for her baby's arrival.

Even in the midst of uncertainty, she continues to hold onto hope. Her journey is a powerful reminder that surviving PPCM is not always the end of the battle, and that many mothers continue to face challenges long after their diagnosis. During a season that should be filled with excitement, she is simply hoping for stability, peace, and the chance to safely welcome her baby into the world.

Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers as they walk through this difficult season.

If you feel led to help lighten their burden, support can be provided through the family's GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/98c3616a9. 💝

Visit: https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1 to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

Meet Emily Doughty:
By looking at the photo above, could you believe she was in full-blown heart failure?

Emily reports having a completely normal and healthy pregnancy until late in her third trimester, when she began noticing protein in her urine, extreme fatigue, excessive sleep, and severe swelling in her legs that left her with little sensation. Despite these warning signs, she says her concerns were not taken seriously, and she continued into labor on February 18th at 10:50 AM with contractions less than five minutes apart but minimal dilation.

She was admitted, diagnosed with a urinary tract infection that she states was not addressed, and remained hospitalized as her condition progressed. After her water was manually broken, she delivered her daughter on February 20th, but in the days following birth she developed a fever, extreme exhaustion, and then a sudden decline where she became unable to speak and was rushed to the ICU.

There, she was found to be critically ill, underwent intensive monitoring and testing, and was transferred to Hillcrest after experiencing two near-death events, where she was diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a form of dilated cardiomyopathy that can strike during pregnancy or in the first year postpartum, often with life-threatening consequences if left undetected.

Today, Emily is still on the road to recovery. She believes that early BNP testing and echocardiograms at the first signs of symptoms could help prevent stories like hers and potentially save mothers’ lives.

Visit: https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1 to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.