Young Parker’s Mother, Samantha, is Grateful For The Care He Received After a Severe Bleed
Samantha A. noticed her 10-month-old son, Parker, had a small amount of blood in his mouth one day as he was teething, and figured he just had a minor cut that would naturally heal soon. To her surprise, the bleeding didn’t stop. Within a few hours, she had taken him to the hospital because his entire face and head were covered in blood. At the hospital, the nurse who examined him initially thought he had a busted tonsil because he was bleeding so profusely in his mouth and throat. He was airlifted to a hospital in Savannah where his doctors ran some blood tests and diagnosed Parker with severe hemophilia, a lifelong disorder. This was very frightening and a complete shock to Samantha as a new mother with no family history or prior knowledge about hemophilia. It broke Samantha’s heart to think about Parker not being able to have the same experiences as his sisters and having to limit him to stay safe. Hemophilia of Georgia (HoG) staff explained to Samantha that her son would need treatment for the rest of his life, but he would be able to still thrive and have most normal life experiences with the proper planning and treatment.
Samantha says, “Hemophilia of Georgia has been absolutely amazing.” HoG has an outreach nursing program, where nurses visit patients in their homes so patients all over the state are able to access quality care. They provide infusion training and follow ups to manage bleeds, educate patient’s schools and daycares, and coordinate care between medical professionals. Parker’s nurse, Theresa, visited their home in Vidalia, GA where she let Samantha practice giving infusions on herself until she was comfortable infusing Parker. HoG also gave a presentation on hemophilia to Parker’s daycare staff so they would know what to do in emergencies and to not be overly worried about bruises and minor cuts. Since using HoG’s outreach nursing services, Parker has been treated prophylactically and has not had any major bleeds. Additionally, Samantha is now confident in how to treat any minor bleeds at home.
Parker is also under the care of HoG’s pharmacists and receives a comprehensive care plan. HoG’s Medication Therapy Management Pharmacists and clinical care team collaborate with patient’s nurses, social workers, prescribers, and other healthcare providers to help patients manage their medications and provide them with the highest quality of care possible to improve their health outcomes. Additionally, Samantha received general education on hemophilia through HoG’s online handbook which has recently been updated and serves as a thorough guide for individuals and their loved ones navigating life with a bleeding disorder.
Samantha’s advice to parents of children with hemophilia is to “advocate for your child and keep in mind it can be hard to learn your child has a disorder and it will get better… and HoG is there to help you and your child through every step of their life.” In the future, she hopes to send Parker to HoG’s Camp Wannaklot where he can learn to self-infuse and meet other children with bleeding disorders.