Page 14 - HFA Dateline 2022 Q1 Spring

In Memory of Val Bias communities. These men convinced
NHF to create the Men’s Advocacy
Val Bias, community member and longtime Network of the NHF, which brought
altering changes to NHF. The change
CEO of the National Hemophilia Foundation, was training and placing men with
died on December 30, 2021. His friend and fellow hemophilia in places of leadership.
community member, Dana Kuhn, shares this tribute. As a result, Val became chair of

the NHF board of directors, and
BY DANA KUHN, COMMUNITY MEMBER
Glenn Pierce became NHF president.
Many of us became directors on the
NHF board. Under new leadership,
n October 1992, there protect themselves from NHF began to work through its
were five men in the infection. Through similar decisions and responsibilities of the
INational Hemophilia life experiences, Val and HIV pandemic.
Foundation (NHF) I decided we needed to
community who were create a men’s advocacy Under Val’s leadership, positive
determined to change the group. The pandemic of change was made. The community
NHF narrative. The men, HIV called for a change in was unified to work on the Ricky Ray
as seen in the photo on narrative of the national Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1995.
page 15, were Jonathan organization. New, improved and safer hemophilia
Val Bias
Botello, me, Val Bias, Rich products were coaxed into coming
David and Donald Colburn. The five men realized it was their
responsibility to teach
At the peak of growing concern men with HIV how to
about HIV infection among men protect women from HIV
with hemophilia, the Women’s infection and empower
Outreach Network of the NHF men to educate others to
was created to educate women to become leaders in their

14 DATELINE FEDERATION < www.hemophiliafed.org