I often tell people to check my refrigerator if they want to track the development of hemophilia care in my family. For example, when my sons were small, the medicine they required, factor VIII, took up a full refrigerator, requiring us to buy a second one. As for other…

On Friday, Jan. 18, my husband, Jared, and I finally had our baby girl. We named her Melanie Citrine. (Courtesy of Alliah Czarielle) Labor was perhaps the most physically challenging thing I’ve ever done. On my birth plan, I stated that I wanted a…

The Philippines was in an extra festive mood over the Christmas season. Alongside the holiday parties, we were celebrating our country’s Miss Universe contender, Catriona Gray, who took home the crown. As a country, we tend to place high importance on events like this. To us, the Miss…

Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) is a genetic blood disorder where the person affected is deficient in a protein that helps blood clot — the Von Willebrand factor.  According to the Hemophilia Federation of America, the disease is genetic and often takes a while to be diagnosed as the…

Life had been running smoothly for a while. No major bleeds, no medical scares — just the comforting rhythm of our daily routine. But as life with hemophilia goes, that peace was bound to be interrupted at some point. It came this time in the form of a…

Last night, I dreamed that I attended a doctor appointment for my wife, Cazandra. It was a follow-up to discuss lab results requested at the initial meeting. The doctor entered the room and shared treatment strategies. She told Cazandra that she wanted to try a new medication to help…

Novo Nordisk has submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking approval to market Mim8 (denecimig), an injection therapy for preventing bleeds in people with hemophilia A with or without inhibitors. If approved, Mim8 would be sold as a single-use, prefilled disposable pen for subcutaneous,…

The adventure of life is filled with ups and downs. Focusing on a word instead of on New Year’s resolutions can be a powerful practice when navigating a bleeding disorder. A focus word serves as a daily reminder and source of motivation, providing a lens through which to…

There is a children’s picture book called “How Big is Baby?” The response to the baby is, “Baby is sooo big!” It is a great book as it empowers our children to know that they are a large part of life. We remind them that the love we…

Prophylactic (preventive) treatment for hemophilia A and B is generally more effective than on-demand treatment in reducing the frequency of bleeding, but the benefit is not as clear in patients who have developed inhibitors that limit how well replacement clotting factors work. That’s according to real-world data from…