I Work in a Hemophilia Organization to Serve My Fellow Hemophiliacs

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 never really intended to be a part of our organization’s subcommittees. It all happened when my mother was chosen to run as an officer of the organization. While my mom worked as president of HAPLOS, she and her co-leaders encouraged me to work so that HAPLOS could achieve its goals — to empower and uplift the lives of people with hemophilia. My mom has been part of our organization’s board of directors for several years. Eventually, I joined the organization’s youth team as well.

An organization’s willingness to serve

I’m a member of the HAPLOS member development team. In our committee, we handle things that we hope will contribute to the holistic development of all members. Both young and old, with hemophilia or without, we want to involve everyone in all activities and to feel that they are part of the community. Our activities include family days, camps, thanksgiving masses, and special occasions, such as participating in a popular noontime show.

In all that we do, we hope our members feel loved by others facing similar problems. Before being a minor officer, I felt shy and distant. After others pushed me to interact, I began developing wonderful relationships with people like me.

A lot of my closest friends are people with hemophilia from HAPLOS. We may come from different age groups and very different backgrounds, but what has made us different from others is the very thing that binds us. Friendships with other people with hemophilia make the disorder seem like a blessing in disguise. Because of my illness, I have found some of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met.

I’m glad I have the support of my fellow youth members in HAPLOS. I feel very fortunate that I’m a part of a group filled with passionate and kindhearted individuals. Because of my partners, I feel more motivated to continue to serve my fellow people with hemophilia.

It’s no walk in the park

As fulfilling as it is, I have to admit that it’s quite hard to commit to such a huge cause. We do what we can so that our members become empowered and compassionate members of society. Just the thought of it overwhelms me. I find it hard to manage my own abilities to fulfill such a purpose.

In the future, I hope I can still contribute to fulfilling HAPLOS’s goals. Soon, I will have my own family to support and I have business to attend to with my wife. Committing to HAPLOS is important for the improvement of the entire hemophilia community in our country. And in this case, my wife, my friends, and I are a part of it. We’re all in this together to uplift our way of life.

Our tagline in HAPLOS is “Hope for Hemophilia.” I pray that we can provide this hope for our members so they can have the life they deserve. They deserve a life that’s free of suffering and to become active, productive, and empowered members of society.

We hope that we, as officers of HAPLOS, can help make this a reality.

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Note: Hemophilia News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Hemophilia News Today or its parent company, Bionews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to hemophilia.