A Diagnosis Aided by a Mosquito
Debbie Margolin was an infant, born in South Africa, when a mosquito bite on her lip would not stop bleeding. At the insistence of her uncle, a pediatrician, Debbie was tested for a bleeding disorder. At 6 months of age, she was diagnosed with Type 3 von Willebrand Disease. For Debbie, growing up with VWD in the '60s and '70s meant dealing with constant nose bleeds, heavy menstrual bleeding and joint bleeding – with limited treatment options and concerns about the safety of the blood supply. “At that time, people were very concerned about contamination of blood. Infusing was a scary prospect.”
A Miracle Pregnancy
Shortly after moving to the US, Debbie gave birth to her first child, a son, in what she describes as a “miracle pregnancy.” After the C–section delivery, she worked closely with her doctors to control her bleeding. Amazingly, 18 months later she gave birth to her second child, a daughter. “I was so lucky. So many women with VWD experience terrible complications with childbirth and bleeding. It can be very dangerous.”
Switching to wilate®
During this time, Debbie tried two different infusion products but reported poor tolerability. “The side effects were a real bother.” At the recommendation of her physician, she switched to wilate. “Because of my previous experience, when I switched to wilate I was very nervous about side effects. But I responded really well. Now I get excellent results when I need to treat a bleed – without side effects. I'm sold on wilate.”
Benefitting from Her Co–Pay
As a long–time wilate patient, Debbie also wants patients to know about Factor My Way Co–Pay and Reimbursement Assistance. “Care for a bleeding disorder can be very expensive. I know. I have a $10,000 deductible with my insurance coverage. Knowing that Factor My Way offers savings of up to $12,000 per year on my treatment costs is really helpful.”
An Opportunity and a Responsibility
Today Debbie lives in Queens, New York with her husband and family. She has made her career in film, working as a Post–Production Supervisor. She also teaches elementary school. For years, Debbie has been a powerful advocate for the VWD community and often speaks about her experiences as someone living well with Type 3 VWD. She believes that people with VWD have an opportunity and a responsibility to educate and inspire others. “When life gives you such an opportunity to make a difference, don't miss it. Just do it.”
###google_registration_done###
###survey_hearaboutfmw###
###diagnosed_bleedingdisorder###
###frequency_bleedingepisode###
###type_vwd###
###severity_hema###
###member_copayapplicationsourc###
###member_copayid###
###member_copaystatus2021###
###member_copaystatus2022###
###patient_firstname###
###patient_lastname###
###patient_dob###
###patient1_copayapplicationsourc###
###patient1_copaybrand###
###patient1_copayid###
###patient1_copaystatus2021###
###patient1_copaystatus2022###
###patient2_firstname###
###patient2_lastname###
###patient2_dob###
###patient2_copayapplicationsourc###
###patient2_copaybrand###
###patient2_copayid###
###patient2_copaystatus2021###
###patient2_copaystatus2022###
###patient3_firstname###
###patient3_lastname###
###patient3_dob###
###patient3_copayapplicationsourc###
###patient3_copaybrand###
###patient3_copayid###
###patient3_copaystatus2021###
###patient3_copaystatus2022###
###patient4_firstname###
###patient4_lastname###
###patient4_dob###
###patient4_copayapplicationsourc###
###patient4_copaybrand###
###patient4_copayid###
###patient4_copaystatus2021###
###patient4_copaystatus2022###
