Kaitlyn Hassler weighed only 11 ounces when she was born. Now 4 years old, she is growing into a normal life.
When Shields was just 24 weeks into her pregnancy, doctors told her she had developed HELLP syndrome, which compromises the liver and blood. It is a complication of preeclampsia, a disorder characterized by high blood pressure during pregnancy, among other symptoms. Doctors told Shields she would die unless they performed a Caesarean section immediately.