Embarking on Camp Valor's "Cruise to Infuse" by Kristy Fowler
Calling all campers! Are you ready to embark on the Utah Hemophilia Foundation’s most exquisite cruise line, “The Cruise to Infuse”? We will embark on our voyage August 1st. This is the best cruise package you will find out there! A five day, four night all-inclusive package deal upon the U.S.S. Camp Valor for only $70.00 when you book your trip before June 6th. What a deal! The “Cruise to Infuse” will take you to the most incredible destinations you’ve only dreamed of. You will be stopping at the following ports of call: first the Orient, then Hawaii, and finally Mexico! Wow, all that in five days? Yes, it will be the time of your life. Come and join your ship’s Captain, Reg Ecker, and your Cruise Director, Kristy Fowler, for the most amazing five days ever! To learn more about “The Cruise to Infuse” and to download camp applications, please click here.
Message from the President by Dave Winslow
As I complete one year as Board President of the Utah Hemophilia Foundation, I reflect on the many events of the past year. These events have included interacting with the members of the UHF community, volunteers, the Board and Industry partners, the NHF and other bleeding disorder groups, volunteering and attending fundraising and educational events and numerous meetings. Several themes emerged from my thoughts and remembrances, particularly the opportunity to associate with members of the bleeding disorder community, Industry and medical partners. Without exception, each of these contacts has been positive and helped us to move forward in achieving the goals of the UHF. Each of you brings a richness and perspective to the challenges of living with a bleeding disorder. (read more…)
Voices: The Value of Pursuing Higher Education by Sam Nielsen
I am graduating from veterinary school in May 2011 and just obtained a job as a cattle veterinarian in South Dakota. I want to share with all of you some of the challenges associated with—but more importantly—the value of pursuing higher education, especially graduate professional programs. One sentence will sum up my thoughts toward the pursuit of higher education: “It is worth every pain, penny, second, and sacrifice.” This sentence also summarizes some of the challenges we—my wife and three daughters—faced in school. The decision to obtain a professional degree was based upon my interests and the need for a steady career with good benefits and financial compensation. This decision is valued as an investment for our family….I have not always been supported during the pursuit of a DVM, in fact many people tried to discourage me prior to attending veterinary school. But the most important piece of advice I can offer regarding self discipline is to remain positive and surround yourself with people who do support you, even if it means standing alone in a room full of mirrors. (read more…)
Get Ready to Roar at the Next First Step Activity
Families with young
children with bleeding disorders, ages 7 and under, get ready to meet T-Rex.
You are invited to the next First Step Education activity on Saturday, April 30th at the Eccles
Dinosaur Park in Ogden. While parents are engaged in an informative
presentation, the kids can have fun with supervised activities in the museum.
Lunch will be served and then you can explore the park with your family. If you
have never been to the Eccles Dinosaur Park, you are in for a big treat.
Dinosaur lovers can enjoy more than 100 life-sized dinosaur sculptures brought
to life by robotics and realistic sounds. Parents also get the bonus of
learning great information on how to care for bleeding disorders and meet other
parents, as well. We hope you can join us! To read more or for RSVP instructions, click here.
WANTED: Your Presence at the Teen Retreat
Deputies from the Utah Hemophilia Foundation have been combing the countryside looking for our UHF teens! Yes, you are WANTED at the UHF Teen Retreat* on May 13-14, 2011 at the Homestead Resort. We need your "roped-in" commitment by May 3rd, but if you feel like "jumping the gun" and registering by April 26th, you’ll receive an early-bird discount, making your registration fee only $15.00 (rather than the regular $25.00 fee). An invaluable weekend will be the REWARD for all attendees at the retreat—packed with fun, friends, entertainment and education! To read more or to download the event flyer and registration form, please click here.
Springtime is Scholarship Time!
The Board of the Utah Hemophilia Foundation is proud to offer scholarships for the 2011-2012 academic year. Applications are available on the UHF website. Please use the 2011 application. Completed applications are due May 20th. All applicants will be notified of scholarship decisions by June 30th. Scholarships are for members of the bleeding disorders community served by the Utah Hemophilia Foundation and/or the Intermountain Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center in Salt Lake City, including those who have a bleeding disorder, their spouses, siblings, children, and parents. (read more...)
Family Fest & Resource Fair
It’s fun, it’s a fest, it’s for the whole family—it’s the UHF Family Fest & Resource Fair, a chance for families from around the state to gather for networking and learning from professionals in the bleeding disorders community. The event will take place Friday and Saturday, June 10-11, 2011 at the Homestead Resort in Midway. There will be Industry displays with information about the latest products and services in caring for bleeding disorders. Additionally, “experts” will be available to answer individual questions and address concerns and issues in caring for a bleeding disorder. Instead of having formal workshops at this weekend conference, we want to give you the chance to “workshop” and network with the best resource of all—other families in the bleeding disorders community. Registration deadline: May 20, 2011. To read more and to download the event flyer and registration form, please click here.
Support-A-Runner at the 5k BloodRun by Mya Anderson
Come and join us for the BloodRun, June 4, 2011.
We have made some exciting changes to the BloodRun this year! We have changed the venue to the Historic
Wheeler Farm in Salt Lake City. The other big change we have made is the
program, “Support-A-Runner.” After you
have signed up to participate in the run/walk, you have the option to ask
family and friends to support you as a runner. To submit a donation for
you, your family and friends can go onto the Bloodrun.org website and click on
the “Support-A-Runner” button and enter your name. If you are able to raise $100 you will be
able to receive a fabulous mesh running shirt and be one of the first people to
take part in the new “Support-A-Runner” program. A “Family Fun Activity
Package” will be awarded to the runner who receives the highest amount of
donations. The package includes VIP passes to the Living Aquarium, day passes
to Lagoon, and a family pass to the Children’s Discovery Museum. (read more...)
Hemophilia Men's Health Group by Erik Rolstad
In February, we held our first Men’s Hemophilia
Health Group meeting of the year at Yamasaki Restaurant in Murray. Nine men
were in attendance and our main objectives were to eat dinner together and
identify activity ideas for the year ahead. We decided to schedule a couple of
casual get-togethers every 2-3 months during the early evening of the regular
work week. We also explored the possibly of organizing a one-day Saturday
outing towards the latter part of the summer. Our next meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 26th from
6:00-7:30 p.m.We will discuss
topics of interest to individual group members, including... (read more...)
Washington D.C. Days by Craig Price
It was a beautiful spring
morning as I woke in Washington DC. The day was perfect to march on Capital
Hill and lobby for our hemophilia community. The priorities discussed this year
included funding for hemophilia treatment centers and maintaining important
insurance reforms. On Wednesday Brian
Chapman and I spent the day training and learning the information we were going
to discuss when we sat with our senators and representatives. Then Thursday
morning we started our day early, ready to take our message to Utah’s senators
and representatives. (read more...)
News from the National Hemophilia Foundation
The National
Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's Division of Blood Disorders will be holding a series of toll-free
nationwide telephone discussion groups with adolescents ages 16-19 who are
living with hemophilia and the parents of children and adolescents who are
living with hemophilia during May and June. The purpose of these groups is
to gather information that will be used to design educational materials and
health promotion programs for children and adolescents that address transition
issues. The groups will also be used to explore how young children and
adolescents prefer to receive health messages and health information (e.g.,
brochures, videos, podcasts, YouTube). Individuals who
qualify to participate will earn $50. The first 10 adolescent callers will
receive an iTunes gift card valued at $15 each. Participants in the adolescent
groups will also have a chance to win an iPod Touch. (read more...)
In other NHF news,
scholarships are being offered for first time attendees to the Annual Meeting.
For more information, click here.
Community Corner
Congratulations to Patrick McMillan who has accepted an LDS mission call to serve in the Cleveland, Ohio mission. He leaves the first part of June and is looking forward to the adventure.
After several years of hard work, Sam Nielsen is graduating from veterinary school. Sam attended school in Pullman,Washington and will now be working in South Dakota. Best of luck to the Nielsen family in their new adventure!
