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Kristian Prill's Story
My son Cole was diagnosed with severe hemophilia A at four months. He had been getting horrible bruises that hardened and looked like horns. When a large, hard lump developed on his chest, I took him to the pediatrician thinking he had a broken rib. Cole’s doctor took one look at him and told me that we needed to run blood tests right away. A day later he called to tell me that my newborn had hemophilia. My reaction was probably that of many…“hemo what – how can this be- what does this mean.” That afternoon, a nurse from Puget Sound Blood Center called me and walked me through what hemophilia was, and scheduled a visit with us the next day. That nurse would become one of our three angels. She came to the house and spent the day explaining what hemophilia was, talked to us about how our life was about to change, and urged my mother and I to get tested to see if we were carriers. For the first few years, I was calling the Blood Center every single time Cole got hurt, and they were always there. Every year a hemophilia nurse goes to his school to educate his teachers and peers on what hemophilia is, and how to keep him safe. The Blood Center never left my side, the hemophilia nurses continue to reassure and provide me with constant support. |
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“They are more than just a blood center – to us they are a lifeline.”