How Blood Donations Help Bleeding Disorder Patients Like Cameron
"I try to live my life as normal as I can. I don't want this to hold me back at all," Cameron said.
At first glance, Cameron Voyles is just like any other high school teen. Heis learning to drive, passionate about soccer and even serves as his school’s sophomore class president. But behind the scenes, Cameron lives with a rare version of a genetic bleeding disorder called von Willebrand disease—and it's shaped nearly every aspect of his life.
"Most of my classmates grew up with me. My mom might have been their teacher. They know my story, but I want other people to hear my story."
What is von Willebrand Disease?
Von Willebrand disease is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, affecting about 1 in 100 people—but type 3 VWD, the form Cameron has, is extremely rare. It occurs when the body produces little to no von Willebrand factor, a protein that helps blood clot by allowing platelets to stick together at the site of an injury.
Symptoms and Treatment of von Willebrand Disease
Cameron was diagnosed with von Willebrand type 3 as a baby. This type is the most severe and causes spontaneous bleeding, excessive bleeding after injuries and internal bleeds in muscles and joints.
"Life, if I have a cut, mine might bleed for however long, like 30 minutes or a couple hours, where yours it might be like six minutes or something like that," Cameron explained.
For mild types, treatment might involve medications. But in severe cases like Cameron's, regular transfusions are often necessary to prevent life-threatening bleeds.
To manage his condition, Cameron has required dozens of blood transfusions throughout his life. These transfusions include plasma-derived clotting factor products that help his blood clot more normally.
Although Cameron still needs transfusions from time to time, he's learned to recognize when his body needs one.
"You get very tired or sick or lazy, however you want to say it. And once you get blood, it just like wakes you up afterwards. You feel better, you have more energy—it's way better, just overall," he said.
