At just 8 weeks pregnant, I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), and from that moment on, my life was never the same. What I thought would be one of the happiest seasons of my life quickly became one of the hardest things I have ever experienced. I was vomiting 10–15 times a day, losing weight rapidly, and becoming so dehydrated that I needed multiple hospital IV infusions just to keep going. I spent months inside my home, too weak and exhausted to do much of anything. I barely recognized myself anymore, and there were days when I wondered if I would ever feel like me again. What made it even harder was feeling like I wasn’t being heard. My OB-GYN at the time offered little support, and I was prescribed the highest doses of medications that only seemed to make me feel worse. I felt helpless, defeated, and honestly, so incredibly alone. But everything changed when my mom found the HER Foundation. ❤️ The HER Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting those suffering from HG, and I truly believe finding them changed the course of my pregnancy. For the first time in months, I felt HEARD. I felt understood. I was speaking with people who knew that HG wasn’t just “morning sickness” and that ginger and saltine crackers weren’t going to magically make everything better. Through their guidance, small adjustments to my medications, and additional supportive remedies, I slowly started seeing improvements. My weekly IV infusions became less frequent, I began gaining some of the weight I had lost, and little by little, I started feeling like myself again. After three months of working with the HER Foundation, I finally began to see a light at the end of what had felt like an endless tunnel. I don’t think I will ever have the words to fully express what their kindness, knowledge, and compassion have meant to me. During a time when I felt like my body was failing me and I was losing pieces of myself every single day, they gave me something I desperately needed: HOPE. I can say with my whole heart that the HER Foundation saved my life, and I will spend forever being grateful for the people who helped me find my way back to myself. ❤️ I’m sharing this because I know there is another mama out there right now who is lying in bed, crying, exhausted, scared, and wondering how she’s going to make it through another day. I see you. I hear you. And you deserve to be heard, supported, and cared for. If sharing my story helps even ONE mama find the support she needs, then opening up about one of the hardest chapters of my life will have been worth it. HOW TO GET HELP FROM THE HER FOUNDATION ⬇️ If you or someone you love is struggling with HG, please know there are people who understand and want to help. For urgent HG-related questions that are sensitive or haven’t been answered through their support groups, you can contact their warmline: 📞 1-971-HELP-4-HG (971-435-7444) To everyone at the HER Foundation, thank you for giving me hope when I had almost none left. You will forever be a part of my story. - @maya.dannie