Dear HoG: Services for People Who Have ITP

Horizons in Hemophilia, Fall 2008

Dear HoG:
My neighbor’s son has been diagnosed with a disorder called ITP. He bruises easily and has nosebleeds. Can he get services from Hemophilia of Georgia? I told his mother how helpful you have been to our family.
   --A Good Neighbor

Dear Good Neighbor:
Thank you for thinking so highly of our services that you would recommend them to others. Unfortunately Hemophilia of Georgia does not provide services to people with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura or ITP. We only provide programs and services to people with certain inherited bleeding disorders – namely hemophilia, von Willebrand Disease, and genetic platelet function disorders. While ITP is a disease that affects platelets and can cause bleeding symptoms, it is not believed to be a genetic disorder. With ITP, the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the platelets. The good news is that your neighbor’s ITP should go away within six months. That’s what happens with 80-90% of children with the disease.