Hot news: It’s the story of the birthday bruise
Even with hemophilia, humor can treat an injury's dramatic consequences
Some people get birthday blues. Jared got a birthday bruise. So we found ourselves heading to a café to get some birthday brews. — A rhyme by yours truly
My husband, Jared, celebrated his 32nd birthday on Jan. 13. A couple of days before that, he had a run-in with bad luck. In a freak accident, he fell face-first, bruising his eyebrow ridge.
For most people, that might’ve been a minor bump. But for Jared, who has severe hemophilia B, injuries tend to make a more dramatic entrance.
When hemophilia makes its mark
What started as a simple scrape quickly turned into something much more conspicuous. The ridge of his eyebrow became swollen and red, puffing up as if it’d been injected with filler. To top it off, he developed a black eye and a subconjunctival hemorrhage, or a redness in his eye caused by popped blood vessels. Half the whites of his right eye turned bright crimson, making him look like he’d walked off the set of a Halloween movie wearing a spooky contact lens.
With severe hemophilia B, bleeding sometimes shows up in unnerving ways. Hand bleeds have caused Jared’s fingers and palm to turn purple. Another time, his upper arm turned such a deep shade of maroon it resembled a sleeve tattoo.
Usually, Jared takes these episodes in stride, rarely letting them rattle him. After all, it’s part of living with hemophilia. This time, though, he decided to have a little fun with it. He bought a pirate’s eye patch to wear. It wasn’t so much about hiding the injury as it was about lightening the mood. Why not lean into the drama of it all? While I’d expected him to walk around growling “Arrr,” he wore it with a quiet humor that made us laugh anyway.
No big deal if you don’t make it a big deal
When it came time to celebrate our daughter Cittie’s sixth birthday shortly after, Jared decided to skip the eye patch. He went to her school as himself, bulging red eye and all.
Jared wearing his pirate eye patch on Cittie’s birthday. (Photo by Alliah Czarielle)
Naturally, her classmates were curious. “What happened to your eye?” they asked, in that blunt, unfiltered way kids do. Jared simply told them the truth. And just like that, their curiosity was satisfied. They didn’t pester him any further. Kids often surprise us with their matter-of-fact acceptance of things.
Now, after a couple of weeks since the incident, Jared’s eye socket has started to look more normal. The redness is fading, and his black eye is nearly gone. But the bump on his brow ridge still lingers. According to Jared, it’s just blood that’s pooled underneath, waiting to be reabsorbed by his body. With a bit more time, it’ll disappear.
Living with hemophilia means that bleeding episodes can sometimes look alarming. They’re a visual reminder of how different Jared’s reality is from most people’s. But what I admire most about him is his ability to navigate these moments with nonchalant humor. Whether it’s buying an eye patch or willingly answering a child’s questions, he finds ways to keep going despite the challenges.
This incident and others like it remind me of why I write my column. Sharing stories like this one helps me show others what every dimension of life with hemophilia looks like — not just the struggles, but also the resilience, the laughter, and the love that weaves through it all. Every bruise has a story, and every story is worth telling.
Last year, it was I who had the birthday blues. This time, Jared got a birthday bruise. And that’s that for this year’s birthday news.
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, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to hemophilia.
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