Meet Chrissy

“Throughout my childhood, I had a gut feeling that I was more than just a carrier because of how easily I bruised. For a long time, my family and doctors didn’t take me seriously when I was injured and told them I wasn’t healing properly. I basically raised myself to think proactively like a hemophiliac, but if I expressed my suspicions that I, too, had hemophilia, the notion was quickly dismissed because ‘women are only carriers’—or at least that’s what they thought. There were times growing up when I didn’t even say anything because I knew it wouldn’t be taken seriously, but in those moments, my symptoms did the screaming. When I was in grade school, I played softball and was hit in the shin. The bruise went from my knee all the way down to my ankle and lasted for a month. I needed an ultrasound to break up the clot. And then, despite voicing my concerns during my pregnancies with my daughters, my doctors dismissed my worries even though I ended up needing a blood transfusion.

I tried for years to get a hemophilia diagnosis without success, until I made an appointment with a hematologist who is also a woman with hemophilia. Finally, I felt like someone was taking me seriously! After years of advocating for myself, I was diagnosed with mild hemophilia A.

My new prophylaxis regimen wasn’t working for me, so I switched from infusing factor twice a week to doing subcutaneous injections twice monthly, supplementing with factor for breakthrough bleeds—and I had muscle bleeds in my legs regularly. I am a critical care nurse, and my job is physically demanding—I have to be on my feet all day. I was bleeding frequently and couldn’t get control of it.

My hematologist told me about ALTUVIIIO, which was shown to have higher-for-longer factor levels in the near-normal to normal range, over 40%, for multiple days of the week in adults. I was very interested in only having to infuse once a week. My younger brother, Chris, has severe hemophilia A and had also started on ALTUVIIIO, so I thought it was worth the try.

I have been on ALTUVIIIO for over a year now, infusing once weekly. I like only having to use one product and being able to make it through my workweek without getting bleeds—in my legs or in my hands from chest compressions.

Since I was diagnosed, my whole life has switched to advocating for women with hemophilia. When people ask what I like to do with my free time, I tell them I like nature walks, hiking, yoga, and working with the hemophilia community. My hope is that with each conversation and presentation, we take a step toward a world where women with hemophilia, and all people with hemophilia, are diagnosed quickly and given the treatment they need.”

Chrissy is a promotional speaker compensated by Sanofi.