By Shelia Biljes
World Hemophilia Day has been celebrated on April 17 every year since 1989 when it was started by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH). The date was chosen since it is the birthday of Frank Schnabel, the founder of WFH. The campaign is designed to increase the understanding and awareness of hemophilia and is celebrated by wearing the color red.
Each year, World Hemophilia Day highlights a different theme. The theme this year was Access for All: Prevention of Bleeds as a Global Standard of Care. The theme encourages bleeding disorder community members around the world to advocate at the local and national level. Global priorities include improving treatment access, controlling bleeds, and expanding coverage for prophylactic treatment.
On this special day, I have found that my biggest heroes come in tiny packages! Benjamin, a first grader diagnosed with severe hemophilia B, is an example of why I find this statement so true. He wanted to do something big on World Hemophilia Day to help spread awareness and education of hemophilia.
Benjamin encouraged everyone, students, teachers, and staff, to wear red on World Hemophilia Day. His mom, Stephanie, wrote an amazing description of hemophilia that was posted on the school’s Facebook page along with the invitation to wear red. Benjamin’s devoted big sister, Evelyn, a third grader at the same school, joined in spreading inspiration and education.
Every child who wore red received a pencil and a card that Benjamin and Evelyn worked for hours preparing. It was a big hit! Approximately 300 students showed their support by donning red attire!
Benjamin invited me to the school to celebrate the event with his family, and I met Principal Kelli Corell. My pride for him is overwhelming! Congratulations to this fine young man on his impressive act to advocate, spread awareness, and share information about hemophilia!
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. All information, content, and material is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Please consult a physician or other health care professional for your specific health care and/or medical needs or concerns and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here or on our website.
Stay informed on the latest trends in healthcare and specialty pharmacy.
Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter, BioMatrix Abstract.
By giving us your contact information and signing up to receive this content, you'll also be receiving marketing materials by email. You can unsubscribe at any time. We value your privacy. Our mailing list is private and will never be sold or shared with a third party. Review our Privacy Policy here.
