Sometimes the stories of life seem like the stories of books, my story was like that, it can also be called the story of getting life back.
It was mid-year 2014 when I first needed surgery for gallbladder stone removal through laparoscopy in Chattogram, Bangladesh in a private Hospital. The operation was successful but the internal bleeding couldn’t stop, my physicians all are surprised because they couldn’t find any cause for the internal bleeding. After 15 days from Chattogram to Dhaka I need to shift to better treatment. During those 15 days, I was also in a hospital bed losing lots of blood. Meanwhile, my physician in Chattogram did another surgery called laparotomy to find out the root cause of bleeding. Unfortunately they can’t stop my internal bleeding.
In Dhaka another private hospital physician again opened my abdomen and place a surgical foam and take under observation. After a few days my physician observed that the bleeding not stopped. In that time he sent my blood sample in India for Factor level check purpose. In the meantime I need to spend 45 days in an expensive hospital in Dhaka around 45 days. My family needs to sale our some properties and assets for my treatment purpose. At last, the report came from India that I am Haemophilia B positive patient.
Those two months turned my life into a big U-turn along with my family.
Due to back to back-to-back surgeries, I need to again lay in an operation bed for repair Hernia surgery in Chennai, India year 2018. For those operations, I needed to take Factor IX which was very expensive. I lost more than four years but learned what Haemophilia is how to manage it and finally I learn the truth about my life that I am special one who was chosen by Allah from the all human being Allah who will special take care of me. I am not afraid I am not alone.
“Life is not beautiful, it’s so colourful “
I found this page while searching about my hemophilia diagnosis.
My Name is Cindy Nogueras, 28, from Puerto Rico. Back in July 2023, while I was unknowing fighting for my life was diagnosed with Hemophilia factor XII also known as HAF deficiency, Hageman factor deficiency, Hageman trait. Factor XII deficiency is a rare genetic blood disorder that causes prolonged clotting (coagulation) of blood in a test tube without the presence of prolonged clinical bleeding tendencies.
It is caused by a deficiency of factor XII (Hageman factor), a plasma protein (glycoprotein).
The condition caused bleeding in my knees which has left me temporarily in a wheelchair, and stiff leg which can’t stretch due to the loss of the meniscus and cartilage.
This condition is also accompanied by agammaglobulinemia, which means I don’t have the protein which creates the immune system, and I will be having infusion for the rest of my life to treat it.
Although I Was mostly in and out of the hospital growing up, no one ever knew why, once I had a bad fall no one couldn’t tell me why my meniscus and cartilage were getting wear out. Until May 2023, I ended up in wheelchair with a bad pain and bad cramp from leg to knee, my rheumatologist sent me to emergency in suspicion of a sepsis on my knee.
I stayed in the hospital for about 19 days, 4 days in emergency room and 15 days up in a room, with many doctors and specialists visiting, from cardiologists, rheumatologists, orthopedics, hematologists, internists, immunologists and there they found my hemoglobin was in 4 and dropping, a bacteria in my blood, the hemophilia and the agammaglobulinemia.
Although I know neither have a cure, and will always be a part of me, I haven’t stopped doing what I love, I go to events of cosplay, work related events, and my photography hobby. Even if I can’t work now at what I got a degree on, I’m happy to be alive and continuing what I’m doing, with my family supporting me through this journey, mentally and physically.
health insurance doesn’t cover everything but we do everything we can to deal with it.
Yo bien agradecida con la lic.laura Paez y la doc.laura villareal de la clínica de hemofilia del hospital universitario.ya once años que mi hijo es atendido ahí ,es una excelente atención con su gran equipo multidiciplinario,nos han enseñado tantas cosas ,de como debemos llevar una buena profilaxis y poder nosotras mismas infundir a nuestros hijos.gracias a su atención podemos llevar una vida normal .
My name is Eliza VanZweden, and I am writing to share my journey as a woman living with Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia. GT is a rare bleeding disorder caused by a platelet defect in which platelets do not aggregate to stop bleeding.
I was diagnosed shortly after birth in 1999, due to symptoms of birth trauma. My path to diagnosis was certainly more painless than others, as my older brother had already been diagnosed with GT. Growing up, I struggled with many nosebleeds which would often bleed for days. For these and other serious bleeds like throat and GI bleeds, I received many on-demand platelet transfusions in my youth. There are very limited treatment options for GT patients, who are often left to resort to platelet transfusions, Factor VII bypassing agents, or tranexamic acid. There are no prophylactic options available for GT patients currently.
As I grew, I learned about the risks associated with platelet transfusions – they should only be used to stop bleeding in emergency situations due to the risks of developing antibodies. This left me anxious – my only treatment option could become ineffective at any time and fail me in an emergency situation when I need it the most. The trust that all my bleeds will be solved with a platelet transfusion was replaced with worry surrounding every bleed and debating every time I bleed how much is “too much” before I go in for treatment – does a nosebleed need to last 8 hours before getting a transfusion? Or should it be reserved for one that is bleeding for 4 days?
As I transitioned to adulthood, I have recently faced my most challenging symptoms. My health is no longer only focused on my bleeding disorder, but also encompasses my bone, reproductive, and mental health due to long time suppression of periods using hormonal therapies. More recently, I suffered a thrombotic event which left me with a portion of permanent blindness in one eye. This experience, as well as my struggles to control my nosebleeds and menstrual bleeding has left me hypervigilant of how being a GT patient affects every aspect of my health.
Although I still struggle with knowing when to get treatment for severe bleeds and don’t have access to prophylaxis treatment, preventative care has still been key in managing my bleeding disorder. This involves minimizing my risks in every activity or environment, and being prepared for every situation.
The bleeding disorders community I have come to know through the World Hemophilia Foundation and the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation (NBDF) in the United States has proved to be an invaluable support and resource. I have met others who have the same bleeding disorder as I have and am inspired to be an advocate for this community <3
I have a child, named Aaron, who was diagnosed with Hemophilia A Severe, when he turned 1 year old in year 2010. He had an episode of intracranial hemorrhage at the age of 2, which almost cost his lives and along the way, had many joint bleeds episodes. At that moment in time, all the hospitals in Sabah, only provided On-Demand therapy.
I was fortunate to be able to communicate and gain knowledge from all the treaters from hospitals and universities, especially the hematologists. In early 2014, I had collaborated with a hematologist from the University Malaysia Sabah to organize a workshop for hemophilia patients in Sabah.
In end of 2014, I was approached by a strong advocate of hemophilia who is also the former President of Hemophilia Society of Malaysia and former Vice President of World Federation of Hemophilia. He encouraged and guide me the way to initiate and set up a Hemophilia Society within my region.
So, in the year 2015, I was involved in advocacy in the form of Hemophilia Society of Malaysia Sabah Chapter because I believe in the power of action to create positive change. Advocacy allows me to use my voice and influence to address issues that matter deeply to me, such as supporting individuals with hemophilia.
By actively participating in advocacy efforts, I can contribute to raise awareness, influencing policies, and fostering a more inclusive and supportive society for those affected by this condition.
Through advocacy in action, I can make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals with hemophilia, helping to ensure they receive the care, understanding, and opportunities they deserve.
I managed to establish a strong network of stakeholders ie.Ministry of Health(Sabah), hospitals(throughout Sabah and Kuala Lumpur), to ensure that the society stays updated with the latest advancements in hemophilia treatment and care. Through strong networking, it facilitates collaboration among the healthcare providers, patients, caregivers, and policy makers. It also increases the society’s ability to access resources.
As a 2024 SSMF Scholarship recipient, I will make the Hemophilia Society stands as a beacon of strength and hope, transforming lives and reshaping the narrative surrounding this challenging condition.
Hola mi nombre es Patricia naranjo y soy mamá de Diego Blankevoort de 7 años quien tiene Hemofilia A severa soy portadora de hemofilia mi padre tenía hemofilia y cuando nació mi hijo nunca imaginé que el podría tener y así fue desde un año que Diego usa la profilaxis el se inyecta hoy en día 1000 de liofilizado y nos a echo la vida más fácil y para mí niño la vida normal estoy muy feliz por su tratamiento ya que si el Diego se pone mal nunca debe de faltar a su tratamiento siempre al pie de la letra vamos hoy en día yo aprendí a inyectarlo gracias al centro de hemofilia del Hospital Roberto del Río y asus profesionales en especial ala doctora Verónica Soto la mejor doctora que le tocó a mi hijo y así vamos viviendo día a día su enfermedad se puede vivir en armonía y tranquilidad.
I am a mom of four beautiful children, with one having moderate Hemophilia A (however, he bleeds as a severe). He is my second youngest and most defiantly the most wild out of my bunch. From 7.5 years ago, when we found out Elias has hemophilia shortly after birth, life has has it challenges but most importantly its brought us into an amazing community that I cannot be grateful to be apart of.
When Elias was first born, we knew pretty soon after birth, that something was not right. He bled, and bled, and bled for days. We later were finally transferred to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital where we found that he had Hemophilia A. What a day that really was. From being exhausted from having a new baby, to finding out that he has a serious condition, it really took a toll on me, as his mom. From that day though, I knew that I had to become Elias’ expert of his body and his condition because I was not only a mom now, but his advocate as well.
Early on, things were okay and we treated as needed. He started walking, and we had to have a few infusions from him falling and bruising that just would not stop growing. He started talking, and we had multiple infusions from mouth bleeds from him biting his tongue. When he was 2, we spent Christmas Eve in the hospital from an ankle bleed that we assume he got from walking on gravel (but who really knows). A few months later he got another joint bleed but this time in his elbow that we concluded had to of been spontaneous. At this point, I knew I had to stand up for him and decided that we needed to start on prophy because I could not deal with my son being in so many pain and treating afterward. After much fighting with insurance, he was finally approved to start emicizumab.
Emicizumab has absolutely been life changing for us. While I had never limited Elias from doing fun boy things, like riding his bike, jumping on a trampoline, doing backflips off the couch, riding a dirt bike, you know all the “fun” things that kids like to do, emicizumab sorta gave a peace of mind as well. Literally 3 months after his elbow bleed, he ended up breaking his other arm while in a bouncy house, ONLY MY CHILD RIGHT? LOL. We infused as a precaution but I really believe that because he has emicizumab, his injury was not worse.
Elias is now 7.5 and is NOT a poster child of Hemophilia. I let him do all the fun things that he wants to do (for the most part anyways). I fully believe that if I do not let him learn his own limitations now and let him “live in a bubble” then things will only get worst as he gets older. He plays baseball and is aggressive in his position and I think its great! He does not let Hemophilia define his life and I don’t either. Our life may be a little different from others, we may have to do things a little differently, but as a mom of hemo hero, my mind now thinks differently too.
We have started bringing awareness to our local community as well as bringing it all the way to Washington D.C. Nobody knows if they simple just don’t know. It is our job to bring attention to the matter and bring the awareness because I too, was one of those who had no idea that the word “hemophilia” meant. I love this journey that we as a family are now embarking. Elias is learning to advocate for himself, his siblings are also aware and are able to bring awareness to who around them too. Hemophilia not only affects the one who has it, but the entire family as a whole. We must support, advocate, and deal with it together to come out stronger and better than ever. Hemophilia will never stop Elias, it just may try to slow him down, but we are there to support and push him, because it will never win; we will not let it!
Dear All,
My name is Phyo Khant Kyaw, and I am writing to share my journey as a severe Hemophiliac with Factor-IX deficiency from Myanmar.
In 1998, I was faced with the harsh reality of my condition when a simple injury to my gum led to a diagnosis that changed my life forever. At that time, diagnosing Factor deficiency in Myanmar was a challenge, and I had been on a journey over thousand blood transfusions.
Despite the countless transfusions, my knowledge of hemophilia remained limited. When I became a member of the Myanmar Hemophilia Patient Association (MHPA), I was able to connect with others facing similar challenges, and together, we shared knowledge, experiences, and support that empowered me to navigate my condition with greater confidence and understanding.
One of the most harrowing moments of my journey was experiencing an intracranial hemorrhage during my childhood. I was engulfed by fear, unable to speak, and unable to see the light . However, care and treatment provided by Pf. Aye Aye Khaing, I got recovery within two weeks.
Until 2016, the absence of Factor-IX treatment left, resulting in deformities in both knees and my left elbow. However, in 2017, with the introduction of Factor treatment, a new chapter of hope began.
I am immensely grateful to the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH), whose saving my life and the lives of countless others affected by this condition. Through their initiatives and advocacy, individuals like myself have been given a chance at life, hope, and a brighter future.
In closing, I extend my deepest gratitude to Pf. Aye Aye Khaing, the Myanmar Hemophilia Patient Association (MHPA), and the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH).
With heartfelt appreciation,
Phyo Khant Kyaw
Terapeuta Hemato-Onco formada para peques con Hemofilia sin conocer que la vida me preparaba para atender a mi propia familia. Oaxaca-México
Pour toute question, veuillez contacter marcomm@wfh.org.
Français 
