"WE'RE GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER!”

  Meet the Bruise Brothers-the reason we walk!

Jackson, age 9 (harmonica, sweet dance moves and vocals)

Likes:

-Sports, sports, and more sports. Give this kid a ball and he’d play catch non stop for hours. His current dream is to be a  professional baseball player. He knows that in order to achieve this dream, we’ve got to achieve how to infuse his medicine and to be on top of potential bleeds. Therefore, this year’s camp goal is to learn to infuse himself.

-Math and history. This kid is a numbers buff. He loves the challenge of solving addition or multiplication problems in his head. And he loves his history. His current challenge is learning all states and capitals (he has approximately 32 memorized) and doing double digit multiplication problems before 4th grade starts. 

Dislikes:

-Nosebleeds. They are the worst. And he gets them quite frequently. Unfortunately, with hemophilia, they can take longer to stop. Therefore resulting in dislike number two. 

-The taste of his medication (Amicar) that he has to take after a nosebleed. He wishes there was a better option than it. But, Amicar, in his opinion, is way better than having to be infused with Factor to stop bleeding episodes due to nosebleeds.

Quentin, age 6(sweet dance moves and vocals)

Likes:

-Soccer. Quentin says he was born to play soccer. He’s grown so much and likes to go after the ball more than ever before. To him it’s action packed and fun. And he loves that his dad has coached him.

-Numbers and reading. Like his brother, he loves to calculate numbers. He will do math problems prior to going to sleep. He also has taken a love for reading. This year he strived to read 200 minutes a week for his reading log. And since learning how, he’s taken off and reached that goal more than two hands worth. 

Dislikes:

-Getting hurt. Sometimes we think this kid feels pain more than others. We manage bumps and boo boos with ice packs. And cuts in mouths/lips with popsicles. Sitting still to put ice on a bump is no fun. But, he knows that if we ice big boo boos right away, it will help the process.

-The taste of his medication (Amicar) that he has to take after losing a tooth. This year he lost his first two teeth. And boy did they bleed. With Hemophilia, they can bleed longer after losing teeth. This was his first experience with Amicar. And it sure wasn’t fun, but was better than an infusion.

                            COME JOIN US!

We walk again this year in honor and support of our boys and their journey with Hemophilia.  Because of Gateway Hemophilia Association (GHA) and their countless educational events and networking programs for families like us, we've learned to live in stride with the boys' Hemophilia. We're not experts yet, but we have a wonderful support system from GHA that we are lucky to call family. 

And, because of you, we feel extra love knowing we have family and friends that love and support the boys and their journey with Hemophilia. We love when you walk with us! This year's walk is on July 14th at 9:30 AM at the DoubleTree Chesterfield Hotel. It's a kid and dog friendly event and includes a 5k for runners. 

ALL donations stay LOCAL and support camps, education, helping hands, and advocacy for those affected by bleeding disorders. Please consider a donation again this year to our Gateway Hemophilia Association (GHA) walk team

THANK YOU! We are truly humbled by the ongoing support and generosity of our families and friends. Every action you take-prayers, reaching out, donations, and walking with us has made a huge difference. Because of you our journey has been much easier to navigate. 

Much Love,

The Bruise Brothers (Jackson & Quentin) along with Mike & Kristina Klein

Did you know? 

A child with severe Hemophilia will spend over $200,000 annually to prevent bleeding. Failure to preventatively treat the disorder can result in prolonged painful bleeds that cause permanent and severe damage. The entire family is affected by the bleeding disorder physically, emotionally, and financially. 

Individuals with Hemophilia do not bleed to death from minor cuts or injuries, nor do they bleed faster; they bleed longer because their blood cannot form a firm clot.