Soft music plays as woman speaks. DHHS and CDC logo at bottom of screen.

Kylie: I have one son. He turned two in September. He's a wild man, as two-year-olds are. He's, oh goodness, what can I say? He's perfect.

Text on screen, "Kylie's Story." Hear Her logo.

Kylie: My husband and I are both in the Air Force. He was deployed while I was pregnant. He got back about a week before our son was born. 

My pregnancy was perfect until about the 38-week mark. I was tired all the time. I had pretty excessive swelling. When I asked about like my swollen ankles, it was well, you're pretty pregnant.

I kind of brushed off all my concerns. It was my first baby, so... and I'd never been pregnant before.

At my 40-week checkup, I had, my blood pressure was elevated. I had protein in my urine. And I still, I wanted to go into labor naturally, so they sent me for a non-stress test.
 
When I got to hospital the next day for the testing, my blood pressure was much higher. I had more protein in my urine. And they admitted me right there. They said, we have to induce you.

It was a couple failed induction attempts. It took about a day and a half, two days. And then they finally broke my water and I went into labor. It was, I think it was about 10 hours of active labor, and they finally had to call it. So they rushed me back for an emergency C-section. Where I hemorrhaged, and my kidneys failed.

I was in the ICU for I think seven more days, and I held my son for about 30 minutes the first day. So I didn't see him again for a week.

So when I finally got out, I was doing dialysis in the first hospital. I finally got out, and I continued dialysis for another year, until I got a kidney transplant. 

My husband was right by my side through the entire labor process. He was really my lifeline and made sure that I was getting the best care that I could be getting, because at the time I didn't quite know what was going on. He fought for me so hard through the whole thing.

It's incredible, my son is the light of my life. He's the biggest challenge I've ever faced. But it's...being a mother is amazing, and we have this story together. We both survived. And not everyone who faces what I faced gets to say that.

Hear her.

Onscreen: Learn more at cdc.gov/HearHer.

Music fades as video ends.