The Governor of Vermont made an official written proclamation March 3, 2017. He declared March as Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month, the state’s first official observation of the cause.
With this proclamation, Vermont and himself are acknowledging people who are living with the disorders such as von Willebrand disease (vWD) and their concerns. About 6,000 people in Vermont alone have bleeding disorders.
One resident of Shelburne, Vermont named Kristin Prior understands the life of someone with bleeding disorders. Kristin’s son has both von Willebrand type I and hemophilia A. She did not know that she also has vWD type I until her son received his diagnosis. They are two out of the approximately three million people in America with bleeding disorders.
Bleeding disorders are rare and these conditions affect 1% of the population according to the CDC. Those who have bleeding disorders are not able to form a blood clot correctly when they are supposed to. When this occurs, it can lead to prolonged bleeding, a life threatening event, or death if not treated correctly.
Citizens are grateful that the mayor wants to spread awareness. Additionally, it is one of areas in the New England focused on educating the public about bleeding disorders. Vermont is the third state to formally announce that March is Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month.
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