Supreme Court Says Isolated Human Genes Cannot Be Patented
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that companies cannot patent parts of naturally-occurring human genes, a decision with the potential to profoundly affect the emerging and lucrative medical and biotechnology industries. The high court’s unanimous judgment reverses three decades of patent awards by government officials. It throws out patents held by Salt Lake [...]
Superhero D.A.D: Delightfully Awesome Dude
On my husband’s Twitter profile, he describes himself as “Father, Entrepreneur, Righteous Dude, Caped Crusader Fighting the Evil Private Health Insurance Empire.” I’d testify those all true assessments of him. He’s a pretty good guy. I think most fathers in the bleeding disorders community are. They fight for justice for their kids just as hard [...]
Your Choice. Your Voice.
Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTC’s) are federally-funded facilities that offer comprehensive, multi-disciplinary services in a single setting. I likened them to one stop shopping: you have your physician, nurse, social worker, and physical therapist all on the same team with you, the patient or caregiver, as the star athlete. Today, there are 144 federally-funded treatment [...]
Talking to Your Provider About Pain
People living with a bleeding disorders know a thing or two about pain. Many with arthritis report having to wait until their body “loosens up” before they can begin their day. There’s also the pain you may feel after a particularly busy day when you’ve been on your feet, and that joint that always bothers you [...]
Prior Planning Prevents Persistent Problems
A couple of years ago, we decided on a whim to take a drive to the top of Pikes Peak on Labor Day weekend. Standing at 14,115 feet, it’s one of Colorado’s highest mountain peaks and in July 1893, Katherine Lee Bates wrote the song “America the Beautiful” after admiring the view from the summit. [...]
Taking Care of Me
Denial is a funny thing. There were several signs that indicated I needed to take some action about changing my habits and improving my overall health. I chose to ignore most of those signs, giving myself excuse after excuse: I just don’t have time to exercise; there was a vegetable on my plate at dinner, [...]
The Best Job You’ll Never Get (Monetary) Payment For
Oprah Winfrey has been quoted, “I always say moms have the toughest job in the world.” Everybody knows Oprah is right more often than not. What would the job description for a mom with a child of a bleeding disorder look like? I think maybe it would be something along these lines: Job Title: Mama [...]
Honoring All Moms, Past & Present
Had I been the Matthew my mother was expecting to give birth to, my life would have been astronomically different. I was born right around the time the first factor concentrates to treat hemophilia were available for home use. Had I been born a male rather than a female, I probably would have been diagnosed [...]
Facebook Users Raise Money For HFA
Enfield, CT – Members of the bleeding disorders community have jumped at the opportunity to help raise much needed funds for the Hemophilia Federation of America (HFA). Thanks to American Homecare Federation, Inc.’s new campaign, Facebook users can raise $5 for the Hemophilia Federation of America with a click of the mouse. During the months [...]
Recognizing National Hepatitis Awareness Month
In 2001, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention designated the month of May as Hepatitis Awareness Month to bring awareness and attention to those living with viral hepatitis. In the 1980s and 1990s thousands of people with hemophilia contracted HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) from the contaminated blood supply transmitted by clotting factor [...]
Assisting and Advocating for the Bleeding Disorders Community
