Katie Harrington Memorial Golf Tournament
Honoring
Katie Harrington
Our foundation hosts fundraising events to support mothers in need and advance maternal health initiatives. Each donation honors the legacy of Katie Harrington, our angel who tragically lost her life to postpartum complications.
Katie was an extraordinary woman whose light brightened everyone around her. Even as a child, she lifted others up and dreamed of supporting teen mothers, knowing that too many young women face motherhood without the support of a village. Through our work, we continue her mission of compassion, care, and community.
Since Katie’s passing, we have learned more about the critical gaps in maternal health. Our foundation is committed to raising awareness, supporting research, and funding programs that improve maternal care, aiming to prevent other families from experiencing the heartbreak we endured.
Katie's Story
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.
Who we support
We support Marguerite's Place because Katie had a passion for helping young mothers in need. Marguerite's Place supports young mothers with transitional housing, early childhood education via low cost child care, and financial & other success skills.
Unique to the New Hampshire service landscape, there are no other programs in the state that provide transitional housing, quality licensed childcare, and supportive group programming within one organization.
This specific combination of whole-family services and individualized supports that provide the opportunity for sustainable success, and leads to healthy, happy lives.
The approach aims to end cyclical homelessness and poverty, interrupts the impact of trauma on future generations, and provides a lasting solution to familial instability.
We support Momma's Voices to help Katie's story reach patients, providers and legislators to help make a significant change in maternal health.
MoMMAs Voices (Maternal Mortality & Morbidity Advocates) is the first-ever maternal health patient advocates program bringing together real patient and family voices. We're made up of dozens of maternal health organizations who represent all types of maternal health conditions, as well as cross-cutting topics like maternal mental health, racial equity, healthcare delivery, and patient-provider partnership. We sit at the center of maternal health improvements, connecting and training patients with lived experiences, providers, quality improvement leaders, researchers, and policymakers to move forward improvements in maternal care. We are a program of the Preeclampsia Foundation
Highlights
Event Updates
Stay informed with the latest news and updates about the Katie Harrington Memorial Golf Tournament. From schedule changes to special announcements, we keep you in the loop every step of the way.
Find all the information you need as a participant of the Katie Harrington Memorial Golf Tournament, including rules, regulations, and guidelines to ensure a smooth experience on the course.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our sponsors for their generous support. Their contributions make a significant difference in our ability to host a successful tournament and raise funds for charity.