Our beautiful and brave boy was diagnosed with Severe Haemophilia A in March 2022. As Ian (Ryan’s Dad) has been a commercial airline pilot, what better way to raise money than rather land a plane….jump out of one!  The skydive is scheduled for 22nd October 2022.

Haemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder that affects the blood's ability to clot. Normally, when you cut yourself, substances in your blood known as clotting factors mix with blood cells called platelets to make your blood sticky and form a clot. This makes the bleeding stop eventually. People with Haemophilia do not have as many clotting factors as they should have in their blood which can cause uncontrollable internal bleeds.  In Ryan’s case he has less than 1% of the normal amount of this clotting factor.  The risk is that if a bleed occurs in the joints, muscles or head this can have life changing effects. Haemophilia currently has no cure, but can be managed by regular injections. 

Ryan's Story

Ryan was 9 months old when he began to crawl. As soon as he started crawling, Danielle and Husband Ian would notice bruises appearing on Ryan’s legs. They started off as small little bruises but soon turned into larger more painful looking bruises with lumps underneath. They would start to heal after a week or so but then new bruises would appear as quick as others healed. It was when a bruise on Ryan's lip followed by a large bruise with a huge lump appeared under Ryan’s armpit which raised alarm. Danielle was obviously very worried and took Ryan to A&E as she knew something wasn’t quite right. After a series of Blood tests and 2 overnight stays, Danielle and Ian where asked to step into a private room by the Dr who gave them the diagnosis that their 10 month old son had a condition they had never heard of before, Haemophilia A. They where then told that the Haemophilia specialists at Alder Hey had a bed waiting for Ryan, Ryan was then sent straight to Alder Hey where he was to stay a further 2 nights while more tests took place and some medication was given. Ryan will have to have injections to help replace some of the clotting factor he is missing for the rest of his life. His treatment won’t mean he ever has the normal level of clotting factors and on the treatment he will still be classed as having Mild Haemophilia. He will not be able to partake in particular sports as he grows up as he has a higher risk of internal bleeding in his joints and also a risk of a head injury could cause a bleed on the brain. 

Danielle and Ian are so extremely thankful for all the information and help they have so far received from the Haemophilia Society as well as the fantastic treatment from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Haemophilia Specialist Nurses and team there. 

We would like to raise some money for the Haemophilia Society as well as awareness of Bleeding Disorders. You can find out more information about Haemophilia A as well as other bleeding disorders here: https://haemophilia.org.uk

What is the Haemophilia Society? 

The Haemophilia Society is a a charity set out to help connect, raise awareness, provide information and help support people with Bleeding Disorders. Registered Charity Number 288260. 

1 in 2000 Men, Women and Children in the UK has a diagnosed bleeding disorder. While that number rises every year, many individuals still go undiagnosed due to lack of awareness of different bleeding disorders. 

There are still misconceptions about bleeding disorders, so providing information and support to those affected and their families is essential in helping them to feel stronger every day.