Page 2 - HFA Dateline 2022 Q1 Spring

EXECUTIVE CORNER

HI FRIENDS,
As we continue through year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, I hope you’re doing well. Winter in the Pacific
Northwest was dark and dreary, which didn’t help my mental health. To be honest, my husband and I kept up our
Christmas tree and lights far into February to keep that extra cheer alive a bit longer.
If you’re feeling blah or unmotivated at times, I am right there with you. I read about this concept called “languishing”
last year, which means an overall feeling of “blah,” and I can definitely relate. The pandemic seems like it’s never going
to end, and it can be hard to get motivated to do much.
Luckily, spring has arrived, and the sun rises earlier and sets later, which means that I can get outside more. I’m
starting my second year of gardening in my backyard, and spring pushes me to get outside and tend my plants no
matter what the weather is. Sometimes, just the smallest act can bring me out of the “blah” and into a place of joy,
which can grow even larger the more I lean into it.

So many of us have had struggles with mental health these past few years. Turn to page 30 to learn how HFA is
creating a network of mental health ambassadors.

Sometimes, just the smallest act
Celebrating Sports
Love to watch football and cheer on your favorite team? can bring me out of the “blah” and
Those of you who are NFL fans will particularly enjoy the into a place of joy, which can grow
story in this issue about Robbie Klein and his family. As even larger the more I lean into it.
part of the NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats campaign, players
team up with a nonprofit to design a pair of cleats that
will be auctioned off to raise money for that nonprofit.
After rookie Patriots quarterback Mac Jones selected Boston Children’s Hospital last fall, the hospital reached out to
the Klein family. Robbie, who has severe hemophilia A with inhibitors, designed a pair of cleats that Jones wore in the
December 6, 2021, game. Read more about Robbie’s adventure on page 8.
On page 16, we have a great interview with professional cyclist Alex Dowsett—believed to be the only elite athlete in
the world with hemophilia. Dowsett is known for his time trial skills and is the former under 23 European champion for
time trials. In his native United Kingdom (U.K.), he was also the national champion multiple times for time trials.
In his interview with Dateline Federation, Dowsett talks about how he got into cycling as a kid with hemophilia
growing up in the U.K., how hemophilia affects his cycling career and his plans for his charity, Little Bleeders.

Hemophilia Across the Globe
We’ve all experienced shipping delays and supply chain issues during the pandemic, but Dateline Federation editors
wanted to explore how these problems have affected people with bleeding disorders around the world—the vast
majority of whom don’t have access to regular prophylactic factor infusions. On page 32, Jennifer Laliberté, national
director of the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) USA, talks about how WFH and its member organizations
stepped up these past few years to help ensure people got the treatment and supplies they needed.
Please enjoy this issue of Dateline Federation. As always, if you have questions about anything included within these
pages, please reach out to the HFA team. We are here to support you!

Allie Ritcey

Chair, HFA Board of Directors

2 DATELINE FEDERATION < www.hemophiliafed.org