World Hemophilia Day

http://www.wfh.org

April 17, 2011

Objective:
To increase awareness of hemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders.

World Hemophilia Day is celebrated around the world on April 17 to increase awareness of hemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders. This year's theme, “The Many Faces of Bleeding Disorders: United to Achieve Treatment for All,” celebrates the whole bleeding disorders community – people with hemophilia and symptomatic carriers, women and men with von Willebrand disease, as well as those with rarer factor deficiencies, and inherited platelet disorders. Hemophilia is present among all ethnic and racial groups.

Hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, and other factor deficiencies are lifelong bleeding disorders that prevent blood from clotting properly. People with bleeding disorders do not have enough of a particular clotting factor, a protein in blood that controls bleeding, or it does not work properly. The severity of a person’s bleeding disorder usually depends on the amount of clotting factor that is missing or not working. People with hemophilia can experience uncontrolled internal bleeding that can result from a seemingly minor injury. Bleeding into joints and muscles causes severe pain and disability. Bleeding into major organs, such as the brain, can cause death.

Join bloggers around the world on April 17, 2011 to help raise awareness of these diseases and also to share stories of how you or someone close to you has been effected by Hemophilia, von Willebrand, or any other bleeding disorder.

• hemophilia
• von willebrand
• blood disorders
• platelet