On Saturday, January 10, our Family Group met up at Monster Golf in Chantilly for an evening packed with glow-in-the-dark fun! Families enjoyed a mix of mini golf, arcade games, laser tag, and plenty of time to mingle. Surrounded by whimsical, monstrous creatures and creatively challenging holes, this wasn’t your average round of putt-putt, it was a full-on adventure that sparked the imagination of kids and adults alike. The kids had a blast playing together, while the adults enjoyed catching up, laughing, and tapping into their inner child. It was a fantastic day of connection, fun, and family-friendly excitement! Thank you to CSL Behring for supporting our Family Group! 

The Hemophilia Federation of America (HFA) and the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation (NBDF) are both accepting registrations for their annual meetings this year. 

HFA's Symposium will take place in New Orleans April 16-19. Registration is $65 for adults and $25 for children under age 18. There are hotel room scholarships available; be sure to complete the scholarship section when registering. The deadline has already passed for HACA's Qualley Scholarship to Symposium. Congratulations to Jennifer Sleboda and Shykisha Knox! 

NBDF's Bleeding Disorders Conference is August 13-15 in Orlando. NBDF offers its Connections for Learning scholarship program, and applications will be taken through February 23. Click here for more information on the scholarship process with NBDF. HACA will be taking applications for the Qualley Scholarship to BDC through May 1; click here for that application.

For many years, HACA has made an annual donation to the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation that goes toward the Judith Graham Pool Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. 

This program, supported by chapters, individuals and other foundation, is named in honor of Dr. Judith Graham Pool, who discovered a method of extracting clotting factor from human plasma to formulate cryoprecipitate in 1965.  This breakthrough opened the door to a series of research developments that would revolutionize treatment for hemophilia and ultimately led to its management though recombinant replacement factor and current extended half-life therapies. 

The 2025 research grant cycle recipient for the Pool award is Dr. Alice Todaro of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Her research work will focus on the regulatory mechanisms and physiological implications of FV-short in hemostasis. For more information on Dr. Todaro, click here. For more about the research fellowship program, click here. 

NBDF recently provided HACA with of list of the years and donation amounts that have been contributed to the fellowship program over the years. HACA has given in 1996, 1998, 2000-2007, 2009, 2011, 2013-2016, and 2019-2025. The total given in 23 years is $64,487, with $10,000 being the largest donation in 2006. 

Registration is now open for Camp Youngblood, which will take place July 12-17 at Camp Holiday Trails in Charlottesville, VA. 

Camp Youngblood is a week-long overnight summer camp for children and teens with inherited bleeding disorders where they can experience a traditional camp experience in a safe, supportive environment. Camp is open to kids and teens ages 7-17 who have an inherited bleeding disorder, and/or their siblings who live within the HACA or Virginia Bleeding Disorders Foundation (VABDF) coverage area. 

If you are interested in sending your child (or children), complete the HACA/VABDF pre-screen form. Eligible families will receive the CHT application link. Enrollment is confirmed once all materials are completed. Registration closes May 1, and all forms are due by June 5. There is a $50 non-refundable application fee per camper that is charged after the application is reviewed and enrollment is confirmed by CHT. If the application fee is a barrier to attendance, reach out to Brenda.

All standard childhood immunizations are required; only medical exemptions will be considered. ALL medical exemptions require physician documentation and approval from CHT’s Medial Director.

If you are interested in sending your child to camp but would like to learn more, we will have a virtual event on Monday, February 23, via Zoom where you can meet camp staff, learn more about camp, and ask any questions you may have. You can register here.

The Hemophilia Association of the Capital Area gratefully acknowledges our donors who have given so generously. Below are donations received from October 1-December 21, 2025, including donations that were made as part of Giving Tuesday and our annual giving campaign. We have made every effort to ensure all donations are listed.

Organizations

Bayer

Biomatrix

Colburn-Keenan Foundation

CSL Behring

Genentech

Novo Nordisk

Octapharma

Optum Rx

Pfizer

Sanofi Genzyme

Takeda

Individuals

Sarah and Nevada Amack

Evan and Jennifer Blaisdell

Rhys Conlon

Patricia Conner

Nina and Edmund Duggan

Frank Falgiano III

Greg Key

Jane Hanley Greene

Kate Greene and Eric Herrmann

Michael Greene

David Hubbert and Miriam Goldstein

Cynthia Kulenguski

Julia LeFevre

Ken Leong

Hilda McPherson

James & Nancy Morris Foundation

Kellie Owens

Linda Price

Eileen and Chris Prophett

Sandi Qualley

Donna Starkey

Janice Wyatt

Earlier this year, HACA purchased Thinx period underwear for the HTCs at Georgetown University Hospital and Children’s National Hospital through funding provided by the Hemophilia Alliance Foundation. Both treatment centers still have underwear available for patients.

Georgetown patients can contact social worker Leah Kramer at leah.kramer@georgetown.edu, and Children’s National patients can reach out to social worker Marissa Zanno at mzanno@childrensnational.org They can share more details on what sizes are available and how best to figure out what size will work for you or your daughter.

For more information on Thinx and how they work, click here.

Want to register for a HACA event? You can do that through our weekly Chapter Connection email, or you can go here on the HACA website to check out the calendar of events. 

Here are some upcoming events: 

Saturday, March 21 - Chapter Education Day

Saturday, April 25 - vWD Education Event

Saturday, May 16 - Factor Dash 5K and Walk.