Welcome to the new website of the Utah Hemophilia Foundation. We invite you to discover the programs, networking opportunities, and resources we have to offer.
14th Annual FORE-A-CURE Golf Tournament September 14, 2010
The Homestead Resort will again be the site for this great event. This golf tourney is the biggest fundraiser for UHF programs and events. It is an 18-hole scramble format with a shotgun start. Contests include prizes for the longest drive, closest to the pin, hole-in-one car giveaway and others. Each golfer receives brunch, golf shirt and goodie bag, dinner and a team photo. Awards are given to the top five teams. Sponsorship packages are available. Please visit the UHF website or call the office for more information. Put together a foursome and come golf with us. After all, it is FORE a good cause. (read more...)
Voices: Life as a Carrier by Hannah Shawgo
I don’t have a bleeding disorder, but I am a carrier of hemophilia and four of my six brothers have hemophilia. When I was little I thought life with hemophilia was normal. My brothers went to the treatment center for checkups once a year, and whenever they got hurt, we had to infuse them. Didn’t everybody have to do that? The answer was no, and as I got older, I learned more about bleeding disorders and what they really meant. I watched my parents worry about money, because factor is so expensive, and worry about having health insurance, especially when my dad was between jobs or self employed. I watched them worry about my brothers getting hurt. I saw my mom’s anxiety when they left home, even just to go to school. We worked through it and have become stronger as a family because of it. But by that time I had come to the conclusion that we were different, and that was not okay with me. (read more...)
A Wet but Successful BloodRun by Mya Anderson
We have had our best attended BloodRun to date! Despite the cold and the rain, we had over 370 runners sign up, and out of those 284 actually showed up to run! The early morning of the run made me really nervous as I looked out my window to big, dark, luminous clouds and pouring rain. I thought, “No one is going to come out and run in this weather! This is crazy!” I couldn't believe how many had showed up, despite the rain. It warmed my heart to see so many people! I thought, “We've got a dedicated group of runners here supporting our race!” About twenty minutes before the race started the rain let up...hallelujah! We were able to run in the BloodRun without getting soaking wet! It was completely amazing! (read more...)
Kickin' It at the Teen Retreat
They came. They kicked. They conquered. UHF teens from the near and far reaches of Utah gathered together for one fantastic weekend at the Homestead Resort for the 2010 Teen Retreat....Physical therapist, Heidi Lane, led a fun and informative discussion about compliance with treatment plans and annual visits to the IHTC as well as being physically active with a bleeding disorder....Dallas Lawrence of the Bobby Lawrence Karate Studio gave an unforgettable workshop. He taught the teens some self-defensive karate intermixed with a great motivational lecture about responsibility, self-advocacy, and achieving your dreams. (To read more and view photos from the event, click here.)
UHF Podcast Now Available Through iTunes
As promised, the first in a series of educational podcasts produced by the Utah Hemophilia Foundation is now available through iTunes in audio and video formats. This podcast features Hassan Yaish, MD, Pediatric Hematologist at the Intermountain Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, speaking on the topic of the nature and delivery of comprehensive care for bleeding disorders. This podcast may also be accessed via the Foundation’s Facebook page. To access the podcast through iTunes, please click here.
What Happens in the Barn, Stays in the Barn...
The Barn at Wheeler Farm was the site for another great UHF get-together. The Community Summit meant that close to 150 friends in the bleeding disorders community got together for great food, activities and fun. There were snow cones, Industry booths, hamburgers, face painting, spin art, bouncing on inflatable toys, and lots of laughs. (read more...)
IHTC Update: Understanding the Health Care Reform
Best wishes from the IHTC. We hope you are all enjoying the summer. This spring we saw the passage of the biggest health care reform bill since the creation of Medicare/Medicaid in the 1960's, and many of you may have questions about how this will affect your care. Several key points will be enacted this September and will be important for the bleeding disorder community: insurers can no longer deny coverage to children due to pre-existing conditions (adults will have this protection in 2014); elimination of lifetime caps on coverage (annual caps will end in 2014); and insurers are required to allow everyone to stay on their parents' policies until age 26. (read more...)
Community Corner: Hunt of a Lifetime
Brandon Fowler had the hunt of a lifetime this summer. He and his dad traveled to Alaska for an amazing fishing trip. Brandon was able to take this trip thanks to a charitable organization, appropriately called Hunt of a Lifetime, which grants hunting and fishing adventures to kids with life threatening diseases. Thanks to this same organization, John Woodard and his son, Dustin, are going to South Africa to for their own hunting adventure later this year. The UHF community can’t wait to hear details about both your trips!
