Makayla's Haven Foundation

Below is the story about our baby "Makayla"and what "Makayla's Haven Foundation" is all about. Thank you for taking time to read about our little angel.

   In July 2002, I became pregnant with my first child and could not wait for our baby to be born. I had the usual morning sickness which was to be expected. But it went beyond that. For an unknown reason I felt sick all the time and I began to swell up and gained 20 pounds a month during my 4th and 5th month. I was not eating bad my body just swelled. On my 5th month my blood pressure was very high and I was urinating protein. I was immediately hospitalized and was advised by the doctor that she may have to do a c-section and deliver my child.  
   But I was then released home and bed rested. On my next prenatal visit at 6 months I was immediately hospitalized and advised that I had "Preeclampsia". I nor my family had ever heard of  "Preeclampsia". The doctor told us that "Eclampsia" is the next stage which is when you have a stroke,coma and death. Neither my child nor I would survive.

   On  Dec 1, 2002 I had a terrible headache and my blood pressure began to rise I was only 26 weeks.The next thing I knew I was being prepared for an emergency c-section. I was awake during the whole procedure.We heard our baby's first tiny little cry and I was able to see her before she was taken into the  ICU Neonatal Unit. She became our life. She was so tiny. She only weighed 1 lb and 4 oz, but she was 11 1/2 inches long.  

   When I awoke from surgery I anxiously wanted to go see how my baby girl was doing. I was told that she was very strong and she didn't need any assistance with her breathing for the first 12 hours. They only put her on the respirator because they didn't want her to get tired. I was taken to the ICU Neonatal Unit. I walked up to her incubator and saw her tiny little body laying inside with her arm over her head and her little leg up, as if she was sunbathing at the beach. She was getting squashed inside of me, so I could see she really enjoyed her space. 

   The nurse told me to put my hand inside the incubator and touch her. I was so scared because she was so tiny, but I couldn't wait. I placed my hand inside the incubator and called out her name, "Makayla, Makayla". She began to try to look around and move her little body, but she had these little covers on her eyes. She then reached up with her tiny little hand and grabbed my finger.
   Oh my God, this unfamiliar overwhelming amount of love filled my heart and I fell in love with her. I never imagined or felt this before in my life. She knew I was her mommy and she recognized my voice. I never wanted her to let go.

   Everyday was a challenge for her. She was so amazing and strong. She began to eat formula and she always responded when we went inside NICU to see her. She even opened her little eyes a few times to see us and she gave us a little smile. On the 13th day, she began to have complications with her breathing.
   She tried her hardest to stay with us, but her tiny little body could no longer handle so many complications. On December 15th, 2002 our baby girl went to be with God.

How "Preeclampsia" Affected Me

   At first I did not want to mention what happened to me medically because I only wanted to talk about Makayla. But many family members suggested that I should. So you can see how "Preeclampsia" affected me.

   I lost 75% vision in my left eye which doctors could not speculate whether I'd get it back. My blood pressure did not go away after 6 weeks as the doctors said that it should. I became depressed & did not enjoy life the way I used to.

   But for some reason God saved me. I regained my vision after about 1 year. I have 20/20 vision. I no longer have high blood pressure. 
   I miss Makayla everyday and God has shown me it was okay to enjoy life again. I am no longer depressed. My promise to my daughter became a reality. We may not know how to cure "Preeclampsia". But it does exist and parents are not financially prepared for what is to come when they have a child in neonatal due to "Preeclampsia".They must still go to work and pay their bills.
   If their child passes away many parents could barely afford the funeral services which we now assist parents with.

   Makayla's Haven was established because when our baby Makayla was in NICU. I made her a promise that we would all leave the hospital together as a family. We checked into the hotel at Huntington Memorial Hospital, so that we could stay close to her 24 hours a day.

   During our stay we saw so many parents that were coming at all hours of the night from home and work to see their babies. Some would even sleep in their cars because they could not afford to stay at the hotel. Other parents had to go back to work otherwise they would not get paid. Some parents  had other children at home to care for so they commuted back and forth many times a day.

   When our baby Makayla passed away and went with God. All we could think about was all of the other parents that were struggling to be with their babies. Makayla made sure those thoughts would never go away . 
   Our goal is to assist families in similar situations and perhaps ease some of the stress of not just having a child in neonatal due to "Preeclampsia". But also assist with laying their babies to rest if necessary.
Makayla's Haven Foundation is 501(c)(3)Non-Profit Organization  funded by donations from Makayla's family, friends and charitable contributions.

What is Preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia is a disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and the postpartum period. It affects both the mother and the unborn child.  Affecting at least 5-8 percent of all pregnancies, it is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by high blood pressure, swelling, and protein in the urine.  Sudden weight gain, headaches and changes in vision are important symptoms; however, some women with rapidly advancing disease report few symptoms.

Typically, preeclampsia occurs after 20 weeks gestation (in the 2nd or 3rd trimesters or middle to late pregnancy), though it can occur earlier. Proper prenatal care is essential to diagnose and manage preeclampsia. Preeclampsia, Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) and toxemia are closely related conditions. HELLP Syndeome and eclampsia are more severe forms. 

Preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy a leading global cause of maternal and infant illness and death.  By conservative estimates, these disorders are responsible for 76,000 deaths each year. 

General Disclaimer

Information on this site is provided for information purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own doctor or other medical professional.You should not use the information conatined herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disorder, or prescribing any medication. The Makayla's Haven Foundation presents all information as it is, without any warranty of any kind,express or implied, and is not liable for its accuracy, for mistakes or omissions of any kind, nor for any loss damage caused by a user's reliance on information obtained on this site.

- We saw so many mommies crying when they had to leave their babies in the hospital.  We assisted in allowing the families stay at the Ronald McDonald House, right across the street from Huntington Memorial Hospital at our expense. We also place families in hotels close to the hospitals if thier baby is in critical condition (NICU) due to any type of complications.

-If their child passes away in NICU due to premature complications, we will assist with the funeral expenses which we found many families cannot afford with many other expenses piling up.

-We give financial assistance in anyway that will help the families. Each family is assisted based on their needs. It could be in the form of gas cards, assistance with groceries, parking, financial assistance, etc.

-We contribute a portion of our contributions to the Preeclampsia Foundation,  they give grants towards researches to help find a cure. Since 2008, we have participated yearly in the Preeclampsia Foundation Walk-a-thon in San Diego, CA.

-With the compassion & talent of family & friends. Handmade baby blankets will be blessed and given to the families for their baby.

-In 2007, We have successfully given scholarships to children who were victims of Preeclampsia .

-Since 2003, we have helped many families. they have all had various needs. We just need to know what the needs are so that we can ease the financial burden.  This way mommies & daddies can stay with their baby as long as they are in NICU.

-Our turnaround time for assistance has been 24 hours.

-In 2010 we were proud participants in the Inland Empire Walk to Remember.

Support Groups

You can easily surf the web and find a variety of support groups. But one thing I found was when you want to know answers about "why"  this happens and you don't get them, it gets very frustrating.

When we lost our Makayla we felt like if we were the only ones and that nobody could feel our pain the way we did. But we did find  a wonderful support group that we could relate to.

It is the SHARE pregnancy & Infant Loss Support they can be reached through their website or  1-800-821-6819 for more information.

The PREECLAMPSIA Foundation is also very informative. if you want to find out more about preeclampsia you can contact them at  preeclampsia.org