Day 43, March is Hemophilia Awareness Month

Every March is time for reflection, in the advancements made, we count the losses from those who lost battles, and we pray/hope/dream of one day having a cure for hemophilia;  or at least leaps forward in treatment options and therapies. Many people don't truly know what Hemophilia is, how it's passed from mother to child, and the complications of the disease stemming from the individual. In the 80's, many Hemophiliacs were subject to the horrors of the pharmaceutical world, and even great terror of parents administering what was thought to be a life saving infusion, and injection of death. The 80's gave us the "Hemophilia Holocaust," and it was well documented in the amazing work by Marilyn Ness in the film, Bad Blood; (Bad Blood is on NetFlix as a Streaming Movie) As a result, Hemophiliacs worldwide who contracted HIV, Hepatitis C (or both) from negligence that could have been prevented. So in March 1986, President Ronald Regan signed into law the Proclamation 5442, that from that point forward, the world and nation would remember the small 12,000 group of Hemophiliacs that were infected and left to suffer.

As some of you know, I am now treating my HCV, and just recently for the first time in my life am walking around with no virus attacking my liver, and undetected thanks to the miracle drug combo of Sovaldi and Ribavirin. By the end of my 6 month treatment, I will be walking away a new man, with a new outlook on life and ready to tackle the world without the cloud of the sleeping dragon attacking my liver hanging over my head. I too was a victim in the 80's, but that doesn't mean I need to sit by and not let my voice and testimony be heard from my walk. When you see me, you see proof that God works wonders and miracles in modern day, don't deny it. I should not be here, but somehow, by His Grace and Mercy, I'm here to tell the tale and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So to my fellow fallen soldiers, I take this moment to reflect on my own losses and gains, and focus ahead to a brighter future filled with joy, longevity and God's Grace.