When young Emmett Cordes initially complained of knee pain, his mother attributed it to his active nature. However, as the pain persisted, a visit to the doctor and subsequent tests revealed that Emmett had hemophilia A, a rare bleeding disorder. He needed mobility aids and physical therapy to maintain his strength.
According to Fox9’s Maury Glover, Emmett’s response to his condition is inspiring. Instead of letting hemophilia A define him, he chose to educate both himself and others through the creation of a comic book.
Hemophilia A, also known as factor VIII deficiency, is characterized by a lack of factor VIII, a protein critical for proper blood clotting. In Emmett’s imaginative comic book, he crafted a world called Hemophiliatown. This town is typically safeguarded by the superhero Factor 8. However, it faces a sudden crisis when Factor 8 goes missing, and a river of blood threatens the town. In his creative narrative, another superhero named Hemlibra comes to Hemophiliatown’s rescue in the absence of Factor 8.
Emmett created this comic book while in kindergarten and continues to share his story with others. Through his comic, he not only explains his own health situation but also fosters greater understanding of what it means to live with hemophilia, making his family incredibly proud.
About Hemophilia A
Hemophilia comes in two primary forms: A and B, the former often referred to as “classic” hemophilia, is more common. Hemophilia A mainly affects males due to the X-linked inheritance pattern of the F8 mutation. The condition’s severity can vary, with approximately 60% of individuals having severe hemophilia A. Bleeding episodes are typically more frequent in childhood and adolescence than in adulthood. Symptoms can encompass frequent nosebleeds, prolonged bleeding after dental work, surgery, cuts, or other injuries, joint bleeds, pain, swelling, restricted movement, intracranial bleeding, seizures, excessive sleepiness, easy bruising, hematomas under the skin, excessive menstruation and bleeding after childbirth in females, digestive or urinary tract bleeding, hematuria (blood in the urine), and dark or tarry stools.
