Hi, I’m Maddison, and in 2027 I’ll be taking on the London Marathon to raise money for Action on Pre-eclampsia (APEC), a charity that is close to my heart.

Before my pregnancy, I had never even heard of pre-eclampsia.

At my 22-week scan, I was asked if there was any history of pre-eclampsia in my family. There wasn’t, but I was told I was at higher risk because my blood pressure was consistently high. I wasn’t overly concerned, I had a stressful job, so I assumed that was the reason. Throughout my pregnancy, my blood pressure continued to be monitored, and it remained high.

At 33 weeks pregnant, I woke up with severe pain in my neck, along with nausea and vomiting. I didn’t think much of it at first. I’d suffered with morning sickness throughout my pregnancy, and I assumed I’d simply slept awkwardly. But as the pain became unbearable and my blood pressure climbed even higher, I decided to go to the hospital just to be safe.

I was admitted immediately and told that my baby needed to be delivered.

At the time, we were living in Thailand. The international hospital explained that if my baby was born there, she would likely need around four weeks in the NICU, costing approximately £3,000 per night, something that simply wasn’t financially possible for us.

I was transferred to a local Thai hospital where I couldn’t speak the language and most of the medical staff spoke very little English. Despite the language barrier, they explained that they wanted to keep my baby inside until 34 weeks if my condition allowed. I remember thinking, “It’s only a headache and a sore neck—I can manage another few days.”

Four days later, my blood pressure became dangerously high and impossible to control.

An emergency Caesarean section was performed.

Our daughter, Coco, was born and immediately taken to the special care baby unit. I thought that once she had been delivered, everything would be okay.

Instead, things became even more serious.

I developed HELLP syndrome…a rare and life-threatening complication of pre-eclampsia. I was told my kidneys and liver were beginning to fail, I had fluid on my lungs, and my platelet count had dropped to dangerously low levels.

Before this happened to me, I had absolutely no idea what pre-eclampsia or HELLP syndrome were. Like so many people, I’d never heard how quickly they can become life-threatening for both mother and baby.

Thankfully, both Coco and I made it through. Today, 15 months later, we’re both healthy and thriving.

That’s why I’m running the London Marathon for Action on Pre-eclampsia (APEC).

APEC provides vital support to families, raises awareness of this devastating condition, and funds research into a disease that, incredibly, still has no known cause.

Every donation, no matter how small, will help raise awareness, support families experiencing pre-eclampsia, and contribute towards research that could save lives in the future.

If my story encourages even one expectant parent to recognise the signs of pre-eclampsia and seek help sooner, then sharing it will have been worth it.

Thank you so much for reading my story and for supporting me on this journey. Every donation and every share means more than you know.