It wasn't the first time someone had questioned the parenting abilities of Lori and her husband, Patrick. Lori explained that the severe bruising on her son was due to hemophilia. A quick check with Ian's physician satisfied the case worker, but Lori spent the next day going door to door to explain to neighbors that her son had an inherited bleeding disorder and would continue to be black and blue through his toddler years. Then she tried to soften their inevitable embarrassment. Ian is classified as a severe hemophiliac, having less than one percent of a needed clotting factor in his blood.
Severe hemophiliacs can bleed frequently without noticeable cause.
The biggest danger does not come from cuts and scrapes, but from internal bleeding that can damage the joints and cause severe arthritis in adulthood. Fortunately, treatment has advanced dramatically in the past decade. Phoenix Children's Hospital is on the forefront of these advances by having the Valley's only Hemo-philia Treatment Center. The center participates in national research studies to keep abreast of new treatments. Now 11, Ian is able to prevent many bleeding episodes by taking an intravenous medication three times a week through a catheter device implanted in his chest.