Volunteer Recognized for Years of Service

Jo Ann was recognized for more than 30 years of dedicated service to Hemophilia of Georgia (HoG) at the Appreciation Reception. She has been around hemophilia her entire life.  Her mother’s youngest brother Andrew had hemophilia.  He was sickly and bled to death after a tonsillectomy. Her nephew Wally also had hemophilia, and died at age seven from a brain hemorrhage that resulted from a bicycle accident.  She remembers him being hospitalized for weeks at a time for blood transfusions, the prevailing treatment at that time.

In 1974, Jo Ann moved to Atlanta with her husband Tom, who was pursuing a degree in architectural from Georgia Tech.  She appreciates the access to medical services that she might not have if she lived elsewhere. She feels fortunate to live in a city with a Hemophilia Treatment Center. With their strong family medical history, doctors advised all the women in her family they had a 50/50 chance of being carriers of the hemophilia gene. When she met Tom, they discussed the genetic implications and decided to take the chance.  After they married, she miscarried several times.  They sought professional help and were able to conceive.  Her son, Chris, was not diagnosed with hemophilia at birth. The short-lived relief ended on New Year’s Day in 1986, when at 18 months, Chris hit his chin and his bottom teeth cut his upper gums and they couldn’t stop the bleeding.

Chris was born in 1984. At that time, blood products were not heat treated and people with hemophilia were at high risk for HIV infection.  Chris was lucky and did not receive infected blood products.  Being a mother to someone with hemophilia can be heartbreaking.  Neighbors were afraid of AIDS and would not allow their children to play with Chris.  HoG outreach nurses visited his school and explained that Chris was not contagious and provided training on what to do if he had a bleed. 

Like any boy, Chris wanted to play baseball.  Unfortunately, he was injured in a game - when sliding into a base.  The injury has bothered him throughout his life and caused him to occasionally walk with crutches and/or an ankle brace.  School children can be cruel and JoAnn sadly remembers Chris being teased and tripped in the hallways.  Despite all this, Chris has maintained a positive attitude throughout his life.  HoG has been the nucleus of their family especially when traveling to another state.  HoG always connected them with the Hemophilia Treatment Center nearest their destination which gave them peace of mind.

Jo Ann, Tom, and Chris have been very involved with Hemophilia of Georgia over the years. In HoG’s parent connections program and family camp, they met and befriended other families with bleeding disorders for support.  When Chris was four, he became one of six poster boys in a campaign called, “Homers for Hemophilia.”  He was pictured with Atlanta Braves player Dale Murphy. 

Chris attended Camp Wannaklot every year from age seven to seventeen and continued as a camp counselor.  JoAnn credits the HoG outreach nurses at Camp Wannaklot who gave Chris his independence at age 13 by teaching him self-infusion.  Chris has overcome many obstacles.  In 2003, he graduated from Georgia College and State University with a computer science degree.  In 2014, he became certified in health care technology.  He volunteers with Hemophilia of Georgia and the ALS Association, and assists his mom’s Bible study group with computer issues. 

Jo Ann lives her life with no regrets and is thankful for her family and proud of her son. She has been involved for more than 30 years as a volunteer and fundraiser for HoG.  She started “Dollars for Beta Sigma Phi” which benefited HoG.  She raised more than $2000 every year for 18 years selling poinsettias for HoG.  She was awarded Torchbearer Degree for her years of service with Beta Sigma Phi International and has been associated with them for over 50 years. She has dedicated her life to making a difference. She appreciates the support from HoG.  She appreciates the support of her sorority sisters who volunteer at HoG – some of them have also volunteered for more than 30 years.  At HoG, we love and appreciate our volunteers who dedicate their time to our mission.  We couldn’t do it without them. Many thanks.