The 'I' in Hemophilia - a Column by Jared Formalejo

Time flies so surprisingly fast. It just dawned on me that I’ll be a father in three months; my wife, Cza, is already 26 weeks into her pregnancy. There’s a lot of pressure, but I hope that my kid can be proud to have me as a father. It’s of…

It’s rewarding to be able to serve my fellow people with hemophilia. I have often mentioned the Hemophilia Association of the Philippines for Love and Service (HAPLOS) in my writing. I want to dive deeper into the work that we youth members do to serve our community. Honestly, I…

I’m a 25-year-old “PWD” (person with disabilities), and I’m not a baby bird anymore. It’s time for me to fly on my own, be independent, and take care of myself. Recently, I had a string of bleeding episodes. It was difficult for me to put a smile on my…

It’s not easy to live with hemophilia in the Philippines. When we hear stories of hemophilia care around the world, it’s hard not to feel envious of hemophiliacs outside of our country who receive proper healthcare and can live a normal life. In this column, I will tackle the issue…

I’ve always had a hard time coping with the fact that it’s quite difficult for me to find a decent source of income due to hemophilia and epilepsy. Although government and private institutions say that they are inclusive of persons with disabilities (PwDs), the reality is that discriminations against…

The topic of fatherhood is often an awkward one to talk about with other men. To an extent, I have that same sort of apprehension as I always find myself asking the question, “Am I truly ready to take care of a child?” I imagine others may find it difficult…

My condition, hemophilia, has always been an enigma for me. It’s been a huge challenge to my personal development, physical health, and mental stability. I wanted to believe that this disease was given to me for a reason. However, as the years progressed, I was wracked with hemophilia complications, and…