After Losing Her Daughter to HELLP Syndrome, Haley Found a New Path to Parenthood

Haley Wheeler was healthy, active, and well aware that preeclampsia ran in her family. Her mother had experienced a severe case. Haley was born at just 29 weeks and 2 lbs 2 oz, spending months in the NICU before she was strong enough to go home. When Haley and her husband started trying to grow their own family in Raleigh, NC, that history was documented. Her doctors knew. And still, at 22 weeks pregnant, Haley was blindsided by a diagnosis she had never heard of: HELLP syndrome.

Three days later, her daughter Harper was born. She did not survive.

This is Haley's story, and the story of how she turned one of the most devastating losses a family can face into a source of community, advocacy, and eventually, a new path to parenthood.

What Is HELLP Syndrome, and Why Is It So Often Missed?

HELLP syndrome is a severe, life-threatening complication of pregnancy that affects the liver, blood clotting, and red blood cells. It is considered a severe variant of preeclampsia and typically presents in the second or third trimester. Symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, right-side abdominal pain, and elevated blood pressure, can be subtle enough to be dismissed as common pregnancy discomforts.

That is exactly what happened to Haley.

"I just felt like I was getting talked down to, and not so much like, maybe there is something going on. Let's look into these options," she recalled. Despite weeks of reporting worsening symptoms and elevated blood pressure readings, her concerns were minimized. A family history of preeclampsia, documented from her very first appointment, was never treated as the warning sign it was.

It wasn't until she was transferred to a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist that the severity of her situation was recognized. By then, Harper was born days later. At 22 weeks, she was too tiny to survive.

"I knew preeclampsia ran in our family, but I just kind of thought, that's not going to happen to me."

For anyone who recognizes this experience: knowing the symptoms of preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome, and finding providers who take your history seriously, can be lifesaving. The Preeclampsia Foundation offers education and support resources for patients and families.

Finding Community After Pregnancy Loss

In the months after Harper's passing, Haley felt isolated. She knew people who had experienced preeclampsia, but not everyone had experienced loss because of it. Five months after Harper was born, she heard about a Promise Walk for Preeclampsia in nearby High Point, gathered a group, and went. Something shifted.

"For me when I first was going through it, I kind of felt isolated. Like, I don't know who to talk to. I just felt like it was a great opportunity to meet other people and to honor our daughter and help the community."

That first walk led Haley to get involved in relaunching the Raleigh Promise Walk for Preeclampsia, which had paused during COVID. At the inaugural Raleigh walk, she stood on stage as a mission family and told Harper's story publicly for the first time.

The walk is now in its third year, growing from 60 attendees in year one to more than 120 in year two, and Haley helps organize.

Exploring Options After Preeclampsia

After losing Harper, Haley and her husband returned to her OB for the standard six-to-eight-week consultation. The question hanging over the room: could they try again?

Her doctors gave them a sobering answer: a 20-50% chance of experiencing another severe preeclampsia event in a future pregnancy. For Haley, the risk felt impossible to accept.

"Before you make your concrete choice, just look into all the options available so you can learn. Because maybe once you learn another route you weren't expecting, maybe that's a route you feel more relief with or more comfortable with."

That openness led Haley and her husband to Atlantic Fertility and Shared Beginnings. After unsuccessful IVF rounds at another clinic, they found a team that presented options they hadn't known were available and supported them through each step of a deeply personal decision.

"Super grateful for Atlantic and Dr. Peavey, super grateful for Shared Beginnings and Stephanie, just opening doors that we just didn't think was possible." 

The couple also worked with a reproductive therapist at Atlantic Fertility, Dr. Eshel, throughout the process. They worked not just to navigate logistics, but to process grief, and work through the emotional complexity.

"She made us feel comfortable in our decision. She also gave us a lot of ideas, like creating books and ways to talk about things openly with our child. She was super helpful."

Today, Haley and her surrogate are expecting. She counts the weeks carefully.

"I keep telling myself I need to make it to the 22-week mark. That's where everything went with Harper, and then maybe I can breathe a little easier. But so far, everything's been going pretty well. So I'm super grateful."

Walk to support the preeclampsia community in September

The Raleigh Promise Walk for Preeclampsia takes place on Saturday, September 12, 2026. Registration is free. The event is family-friendly, with food, activities, raffles, and the chance to hear directly from mission families: people who have lived through preeclampsia and pregnancy loss and are willing to share their stories so others don't have to navigate it alone.

The walk benefits the Preeclampsia Foundation, whose mission is to improve outcomes for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy through education, community engagement, and research.

Register to walk, form a team, or make a donation: 👉 2026 Raleigh Promise Walk, Preeclampsia Foundation

Navigating Your Own Path to Parenthood?

If Haley's story sounds familiar, whether you've experienced preeclampsia, pregnancy loss, or unsuccessful IVF, or you're simply trying to understand what options exist, the Shared Beginnings team would be glad to talk through what may be possible for your family.

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Shared Beginnings is a medically-led donor egg and embryo agency based in Raleigh, NC, serving intended parents across the country and around the world. All programs are backed by financial assurances and supported by board-certified medical professionals.