Page 4 - HFA_Dateline_2018_Q3_Fall

HAPPENING HIGHLIGHTS

A Legacy to Learn From

HFA to honor bleeding disorders history at 2019 Symposium

By Sonji Wilkes, staff writer

A s Hemophilia Federation of America began preparations personal stories from the community. It will be an incredible
for its 20th anniversary five years ago, it quickly became experience honoring the past and building a future legacy.

apparent a retrospective of HFA’s history would not be In 2014, two rooms were filled with easy-to-read timeline boards
complete without a look back at the history of bleeding dating back to the 1940s, binders of documents, hundreds of
disorders over several decades. community resources, the Ryan White and Ricky Ray AIDS

Through the dedicated input of a volunteer steering committee, Quilt, and hundreds of community photos dating back to the

a first-of-its-kind historical exhibit covering 70 years of 1950s.

hemophilia was developed for HFA’s Symposium that year. “These history boards helped me to understand our

“This was my favorite part of Symposium. I could have spent community’s important milestones, adversities and

hours in this room,” said a Symposium achievements,” said a 2014 Symposium

attendee in 2014. “I left inspired and hope attendee. “I left inspired and hope more
more teens around teens around the country can see these.”
HFA will soon be celebrating 25 years
of serving the bleeding disorders com- The room evoked powerful emotions
munity and will continue honoring the from new as well as long-time
history with a similar exhibit at the 2019 participating community members

Symposium in San Diego. the country can alike. In the five years since, HFA has

Community members are invited to see these.” made the historical timeline available
experience this special exhibit once
again. HFA is updating the exhibit with ~a 2014 history room visitor to its member organizations and has
more archival documents, videos and
digitized the archives in an interactive

format on its website. S

SAVE HFA’s 2019 Symposium

THE DATE! April 4-6 S San Diego

4 Dateline Federation | Fall 2018