I was the first person in our family to be diagnosed with VWD; at the time, my sons were 1 and 3 years old. I immediately scheduled an appointment with their pediatrician.  After a heated discussion between the doctor and the local pediatric oncologist/hematologist, they referred my younger son for testing because he had some symptoms (easy bruising, frequent bloody noses, and bleeding gums when he was cutting teeth). The results were inconclusive, and we were told to bring him back in 4 or 5 years when he could "sit still and tolerate having blood drawn."

Two years later, I was in the ER with my younger son after a scooter accident. When I told the ER physician that my son might have a bleeding disorder, he immediately became upset. "You can't come into the ER with a bleeding kid and tell us he MIGHT have a bleeding disorder! You have to have him tested again. You need answers."

So I began searching online for others with bleeding disorders and found out about HTCs.  We visited the only one in our state, and my son was diagnosed with VWD type 1. Now in kindergarten, my son is very proud to show off his medic alert bracelet and explain his diagnosis to others. VWD is one subject he can be confident he knows more about than the average adult!