To Play or Not to Play, the Challenges of Managing Pediatric Hemophilia

A young child living with severe hemophilia is adopted by a family in the United States. Prior to his adoption, due to a lack of resources and other challenges, his hemophilia was not properly managed. Dr. Meera Chitlur, a pediatric hematologist and the director of the Hemophilia Treatment Center at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, has treated this patient since he first came to the U.S. As he grew older, like many children, he wanted to play sports. But for people with hemophilia, participating in sports brings great risk. Dr. Chitlur shares how together with the patient and his family, they navigated the challenges of growing up with hemophilia and how new treatment options for pediatric hemophilia have opened up a whole new world for kids living with the disease.