Honoring
Katie Harrington

Katie was a healthy 28-year-old woman with a normal pregnancy. She had a difficult delivery but otherwise experienced a typical postpartum period in the hospital. It wasn’t until five days after her delivery that she began experiencing complications. Katie developed postpartum preeclampsia. Thankfully, her doctors recognized the symptoms early, and she was treated immediately. However, after a few days, she was released from the hospital, unknowingly having developed a pulmonary embolism, which ultimately took her life.

During this time, Katie experienced symptoms that she dismissed as normal postpartum discomfort and exhaustion. It’s still unclear whether some symptoms, like fluctuating blood pressure, were misinterpreted as part of her preeclampsia or overlooked entirely. After receiving one treatment to normalize her blood pressure, she was discharged, but her blood pressure began to rise again once she was home. Her doctors did not feel confident in the readings from her home blood pressure monitor, so they scheduled a follow-up appointment for a few days later, once the office reopened. Tragically, Katie never made it to that appointment.

We share Katie’s story not to scare women about pregnancy, but to raise awareness about how pregnancy and childbirth can be traumatic for the body. There are many potential complications, and it’s crucial for women to feel comfortable checking and double-checking with doctors about any symptoms—even those that might seem like normal postpartum feelings. The postpartum period doesn’t end when you leave the hospital, and complications can arise days or even weeks later.  We hope to encourage further research and studies on these issues so that more women can be informed and better protected.  We hope Katie’s story will inspire others to speak up about their symptoms and advocate for themselves, even when it’s difficult.