Provisions of a new law that went into effect on Oct. 1 allow families affected by hemophilia and other bleeding disorders who are under Medicare to better access skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) announced. This law, known as the Hemophilia SNF Access Act, should…

My last home had a great fence. It was a wall of concrete blocks surrounding my backyard and stood 7 feet high. With two dogs who bark at the wind blowing, the wall deterred them from jumping and kept some of their barking at bay. However, there was an iron…

A single infusion of valoctocogene roxaparvovec, BioMarin Pharmaceutical’s investigational gene therapy, can lead to the sustained production of factor VIII (FVIII) in people with hemophilia A, according to a biopsy study that showed the presence of the treatment’s gene constructs in the liver over nearly four…

A “6 Years Ago Today” moment popped up in my Facebook feed recently. The notification took me back to another Thanksgiving when my son, Caeleb, was 7, and we were in the hospital. He had port access issues, his factor levels were all over the place, and a knee bleed…

Children with hemophilia in areas with limited medical resources face a high risk of fatal brain bleeds, a danger that is dramatically worsened by delays in seeking emergency care. A new study from Thailand reveals that without access to modern preventive therapies, more than a third of pediatric patients…

Nuwiq (simoctocog alfa) effectively prevented and controlled bleeds in previously untreated people with severe hemophilia A, according to data from a Phase 3 clinical trial. Full trial results were reported in the study, “Simoctocog alfa (Nuwiq) in previously untreated patients with severe haemophilia A — Final efficacy…

When you have a bleeding disorder, you are part of a community that becomes family. You never completely leave them, and they never leave you. The disorder binds you for a lifetime. When your bleeding disorder wreaks havoc, you tend to reach out to your bleeding disorder family…

Scientists successfully combined the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 and a special type of virus to deliver corrected genes to restore the function of the coagulation factor IX (FIX) gene in young mice with hemophilia B. The study, “Long-term correction of hemophilia B using adenoviral delivery of CRISPR/Cas9,”…

When my oldest son, Julian, expressed an interest in the theater, with hopes of starting a career in musical theater, I smiled and felt I could be an excellent resource for him. After all, I had a reasonably successful career in the business, having done regional…

Almost 27 years ago, I received the title of caregiver when my first son, Julian, was born. Not realizing that my role in his life would change over the years with his hemophilia, I gladly performed my duty and helped him navigate the waters of medical care. Ten…