When I was in high school, I wasn’t just excused from gym class; I was prohibited from participating in every sport except swimming. While my classmates learned volleyball, basketball, and track, I sat on the sidelines because my bleeding disorders made physical activity too risky. At the time, I accepted…
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Note: This column was updated July 2, 2026, to correct the year of the author’s hospitalization for iliopsoas bleeding to this year. Having severe hemophilia A means everything can be life-threatening. In February, I had a tooth extraction that required sedation after a year of preparation. It took that…
I woke up on Saturday morning and struggled to stand upright. My back had given out, and I could hardly take a step forward. Sunday morning was no better, but I had to prepare for worship, so I was determined to get dressed, get to church, and fulfill my duties…
I have two dogs, Laggie and Hildie, that are a mix of border collie and Australian shepherd. They’re 5 years old and came from the same litter, even sharing the same sac, which is pretty rare. Laggie looks more like a border collie, while Hildie takes after the Australian shepherd…
When I first started writing for Hemophilia News Today in 2018, I never imagined it would become part of my career. At the time, I was a young woman preparing for marriage and trying to make sense of life with hemophilia. I had stories to tell, lessons to…
My son Julian posted a picture on Facebook this week that took my breath away. I had to look at it twice to make sure it was really him. In the photo, he was sitting on large rocks on the shore, water swirling around his feet, his hands open as…
I use Spotify to listen to my favorite podcasts, audiobooks, and music. Downloading what I like is simple, but there’s another fun part: the app makes playlists based on what you listen to. One recent playlist really surprised me. The playlist Spotify picked for me was called Oldies Mix.
I’ve noticed something strange over the years: Adults with hemophilia sometimes disappear from conversations that were built for them. I first noticed it in support groups. The louder caregivers became, the quieter some people with hemophilia seemed to get. Some stopped participating altogether. Others drifted toward spaces led by…
I’ve been standing in front of my closet longer than I’d like to admit. It’s not vanity. It’s because I know what I want the clothes to do: I want to walk into a marble hallway and have the person across from me see someone steady, prepared, worth listening to…
When my sons were small, I didn’t give speaking up on their behalf a second thought. As toddlers, they had little interest in sitting through difficult explanations about their bodies and about hemophilia. They wanted to be free to play with toys and their friends. When internal bleeds…
