Monica and Josh Poynter have recently adopted a nine-year-old boy, Trey, from China. They felt a connection to the boy as he has hemophilia type A, the same rare bleeding disorder that their biological son has. They knew that they could provide the best care for Trey, and that he would be the best addition to their family.

About Hemophilia Type A

Hemophilia A is an inherited bleeding disorder that occurs when there is a deficiency of the clotting protein, factor VIII. This deficiency leads to excessive and prolonged bleeding, although severity varies among affected individuals. Symptoms include nose bleeds, bruising, bleeding in the digestive and urinary tracts, bleeding in the joints that is associated with pain and inflammation, and excessive bleeding after cuts, dental work, surgery, and trauma. All of these effects are the result of a mutated gene that is passed down in an X-linked recessive pattern, meaning that males are more likely to be affected than females. Treatment consists of concentrated factor VIII that is administered through an IV.

Hemophilia in the Poynter Family

The Poynter’s first son, Tag, was diagnosed with hemophilia A just two days after he was born. Because of this, Monica and Josh both know the ins and outs of hemophilia treatment. However, both parents are unaware of any history of hemophilia A, so the diagnosis was a big surprise.

Adopting Trey

After having Tag, the Poynters experienced difficulty when trying to have another child. After six years, they decided to turn to other options, specifically adoption. They took a foster to adopt class, began working with Hand in Hand International Adoptions, and looked for the perfect child for their family.

They knew that Trey was the perfect child after seeing his beaming smile in his photo. This was confirmed when they traveled to China to meet him for the first time. His smile was just as big in person, even though he hadn’t been receiving the best care. He was in a wheelchair due to an active bleed, but it didn’t seem to dampen his spirits. He gave the biggest hugs to his new family, and his smile never faltered.

Now Trey receives the best care possible. He is no longer in a wheelchair and receives regular factor VIII infusions. Playing with his brother and receiving endless love from his parents have also been very impactful for Trey. Josh stated that “Tag loves having a brother and Monica and I love having another son.”

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