Join us for a race the entire family can enjoy!  The VHF Trick or Trot is a fun and healthy way to show your support for all those whose lives are impacted by bleeding disorders. 

Run a 5K course, walk a quick one mile route, or cheer on the kids as they compete in the Monster Dash, a 100 yard fun run for ages 12 and under. Costumes are highly encouraged and you won't want to miss the pre-race Halloween party with a DJ, food, and more!

Sign up today and start fundraising!
Funds raised will go toward fulfilling VHF's mission of supporting the needs of those impacted by a bleeding disorder through education, advocacy, and community.

5K |$30      Junior 5K | $15      Fun Walk | $10

Don't miss out on the Trick or Trot 5K Groupon running until 10/28/17 - one adult 5K entry for $15 (that's 50% off!) Go Here to Learn More.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• 14th - Educational Dinner in Richmond. GO HERE TO RSVP.

• 23rd - 24th - Family Retreat Weekend at Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg. Registration is now closed.

• 27th - Women's Night Out Carytown Food Tour in Richmond. Event is now full - email admin@vahemophilia.org to be added to the wait-list. 

Teens from across the state gathered in Virginia Beach on August 5th - 6th for a weekend filled with advocacy, education, community building and summer fun with other teens who are faced with similar challenges. 

On Saturday morning Chelsea Frimpong, NHF Education Specialist and Dulce Sierra and  Matthew Gates, both from the NHF NYLI program, presented two Steps for Living Workshops. The first one titled "Do You Bleed Like Me" gave the teens a chance to test their knowledge... on each other! And the second "Becoming Independent on My Own" gave them a chance to discuss disclosure, finances and general concerns about growing up . To round out the day Taalib Smith, a certified personal trainer, led a high-energy HFA Fit Factor session called "Exercise, Fitness, and Nutrition for Teens - Do's/Don'ts of Teen Fitness Programs".

That evening, at the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel, in a room with a beautiful view of the bay we came together for an educational dinner program on "Transitioning from Pediatrics to Adult HTC's ". The presentation was given by Martina Willis-McCulllough, Clinical Nurse Educator.  Thank you to Octapharma for sponsoring this informative dinner meeting.

Thank you to our "Teen Weekend" sponsors Hemophilia Federation of America, National Hemophilia Foundation, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Pfizer and Shire.

It was a great, sunny and warm Sunday on August 6th as over 100 VHF members joined together to celebrate summer at one of our favorite locations - Ocean Breeze Water Park!

The day began with a picnic lunch under the pavilion and then a fun informal presentation on staying healthy and active with a bleeding disorder by Zack Bordone. After lunch our members had the rest of the day to enjoy all that Ocean Breeze had to offer. 

Thanks to our sponsors DrugCo Health, Novo Nordisk, and Shire for our community day of fun in the sun!

To Treat or Not To Treat? That is the question! This educational dinner program in Roanoke on the evening of August 10th focused on approved and unapproved activities for those living with a bleeding disorder. The speaker, Martina Willis-McCullough, BSN, Nurse Educator, enabled attendees to leave with the tools and strategies needed to recognize an active bleed in a child or adult and determine what treatment is needed. 

Thank you to Octapharma for sponsoring this dinner program.

Russel and Max Kaiser | VHF Members

On Saturday August 19th we had a great day at Go Ape Zip-line & Treetop Adventure. The day started off with an instruction session on safety rules, how to use our harness and safety lines in order to keep from falling from great heights. Once we were set loose on the course we were faced with obstacles to overcome, such as Tarzan swings, hanging cargo nets, floating walkways and bridges that moved, all 25-45 feet about the ground. Each of the different sections of the course presented different levels of difficulty and each section of the course ended with a super fun zip line, which one of us needed more practice with in order to land on our feet and not our back side. The adventure course was a real thrill. We learned to overcome fears and doubt and we learned that when you persevere you can conquer your fears and accomplish great things. Once we finished the adventure course, we were treated to a wonderful lunch from a Williamsburg favorite, Pierce's Barbecue and during lunch we went over back-to-school resources and spent some time with old and new friends. 

Thank you to our sponsors HPC Specialty Pharmacy, Novo Nordisk and Shire.

Sabrina Adams | VHF Member

My husband and I were granted a  VHF Educational Scholarship to attend the National Hemophilia Foundation's (NHF) Annual Meeting in Chicago. The meeting was very informative because of all the different educational tracks that were offered. There was a topic for everyone. There was so much going on that at times it was sensory overload. Many of the vendors had some great giveaways such as personalized shirts and jerseys. We enjoyed meeting people from all over the country. The city of Chicago was fantastic! The weather was perfect so I spent as much time as I could in-between events exploring the city on foot. I also made sure that I tried some Chicago favorites such as deep dish pizza, Garrett's popcorn, and a Chicago style hot dog. I even went for a swim in Lake Michigan. The coolest part of the weekend was that NHF reserved the entire Field Museum for the last night of the annual meeting. I could have spent a whole day in there. I highly recommend for anyone who has not been to an annual meeting (this was the first for my husband and I), to definitely go. It's an amazing trip. 

For Women Affected by a Bleeding Disorder...

Friday, November 3 - Sunday, November 5th at the Marriott at City Center in Newport News

The Comprehensive Health Education Services (CHES) LadyBugs program empowers women ages 16 and older who are affected by, care for someone, or carry a bleeding disorder. The program's goal is to assist women to find their voice when it comes to decision making about the health of themselves and their loved ones.

The goal is to provide education about medical developments, advocacy skill building, stress management techniques and more to encourage women to recognize that their health is equally important.

Like most CHES programs, LadyBugs is free for participants, including travel. But budgeting is limited, so act fast!

Wednesday, September 13th 8:00 pm

To Play or Not to Play? That is the Question! 

There is so much conflicting information about whether a child with a bleeding disorder should play sports. Hear from HFA resident experts - those with bleeding disorders and parents who made the choice to allow their child to participate in sports. The panelists will share their experiences and provide useful insight on preparing for sports. Go Here to Register.

PRIDE Project: How do I Participate in Research as a Community Member?

This webinar is the second of a six-part webinar series for HFA's Patient-centered Research for Innovation, Development, and Education (PRIDE) Project. The PRIDE Project's goal is to train stakeholders in the bleeding disorders on the importance of patient-centered outcome research.

In this webinar, Julie Kennedy Lesch, MPA from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will address the importance of patients and caregivers' roles in patient-centered outcome research and discuss how patients and caregivers can participate in research opportunities. This webinar will be moderated by Ann-Grete Tan, a bleeding disorders community member with a 16 year old son with severe hemophilia A and interest in effective research impacting the bleeding disorders community. Go Here to Register.

CSL Behring and The National Hemophilia Foundation are partnering with MIT Hacking Medicine to bring together members of the hemophilia community, developers, designers, engineers, clinicians, and others.  They will meet in Cambridge to hack hemophilia-related questions during this weekend-long event. Bring your expertise, pitch a problem, identify a solution, and help change lives.