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The new year is a wonderful time. To many of us, it’s a symbol of fresh hope and new beginnings. I greeted January with many dreams and the hope that they may come true. After an eventful series of moments leading up to New Year’s Eve, my husband, Jared,…

My son couldn’t walk, and placing him in a wheelchair proved to be impossible. Internal bleeding into a knee or ankle forced my “stinky boy” to remain in bed. I hurt for him, thinking, “If only he could get in a wheelchair, he could see the world.” We wished…

With 2019 behind us, it’s time for everyone to start anew and welcome 2020 into their lives. It’s hard to be fond of 2019 considering the impact my chronic illness had on my life. I spent practically a third of the year on bed rest because of severe…

I received an email from a friend I hadn’t heard from in some time. She told me that her nephew and his wife just had a baby and he has been diagnosed with hemophilia. She had ordered my book to send to her niece and was hoping I would…

Recently, I was browsing the website of the National Hemophilia Foundation and came across a series of videos encouraging people with hemophilia to have regular testing for inhibitors. As I watched the videos, it occurred to me that women with hemophilia don’t talk much about inhibitors.

I’d been sick with acute respiratory troubles for almost a week. Not a minute had gone by without a sniffle or a sneeze. My sinuses had been painful and horribly congested, my throat inflamed, and my stomach upset due to the collection of phlegm in my digestive tract. (Don’t get…

My family entered the hemophilia community more than 23 years ago with the birth of my oldest son. During our time with the bleeding disorders community, my wife and I learned to access ports, treat and perform peripheral sticks, and negotiate difficult circumstances. We did not receive a manual titled…

I have begun the year on a high note: I can park both cars in my garage. My family pitched in to help with a clear out. We tossed things we no longer need and donated useful items. It was a fantastic feeling to get rid of the things that…

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Carol Kasper, a highly regarded hematologist who has dedicated her life’s work — over 40 years of research and patient care — to individuals with hemophilia. Although Kasper retired three years ago, she continues to…

As early as September, colorful Christmas lights adorn all sorts of spaces in the Philippines. Families begin decorating their homes and stores start to roll out out holiday promotions: holiday-themed drinks, planners for collecting stickers — you name it. At the onset of such traditions, one can feel the so-called…