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Meet Derek and Brooklynn
Derek:
I was diagnosed with hemophilia as soon as I came into this world. My Factor VIII level is below 1%, so I’m about as severe as you can get. I was very active as a child. My parents did not put me in a bubble. I played sports; I played football, basketball, and baseball. Dealing with hemophilia, it ended my sports career. After I couldn't play sports anymore, I picked up music. It was kind of an outlet, you know, to deal with things and to escape.
I’m married; I have four children. My oldest is Brooklynn. She's 17, my son's 14, and then I have two younger children that are 4 and 3. When Brooklynn was born, I knew and expected that she would have hemophilia. She was diagnosed two weeks after birth.
Brooklynn:
I'm 17, and I'm a junior in high school. I'm the oldest of four children, and we're a very active family, a lot of sports throughout our family, and I do two different cheer teams, and we travel a lot for competitions. The past two years at cheer camp, I was recognized as an All-American cheerleader, which is a great achievement. I think being a teenager with hemophilia is a little bit more difficult than normal because with cheerleading, it's hard. And my coaches they don't understand that much that I'm hurting, so I have to, like, advocate for myself.
Derek:
Being a teenager with hemophilia was difficult during my time, I would say, you know, technology has come a long way in advancements. Given my lifestyle, my activity, I have four kids, I have two little ones that I'm chasing around quite often. And so, I needed a medication that had a good protection plan. I went to a local hemophilia chapter dinner here, and there was a CoRe Manager speaking on ALTUVIIIO. When I heard about ALTUVIIIO being once a week, that piqued my interest. I took that information after leaving the dinner, I took it to my hematologist, and we discussed for me switching from my previous medication to ALTUVIIIO. My doctor discussed with me the most common side effects with ALTUVIIIO, and they were headaches and joint pain. He agreed that it had the protection that I was looking for, and he wrote me a prescription for it. My trough level came back a week after infusion, and it was 18%. So that was a lot better than the 1% that I normally have.
Brookynn:
I was on my previous treatment for two years. And then I had an injury in cheer, and I went to my hematologist, and they suggested that I switch to ALTUVIIIO. At first, I was a little nervous because I hadn't really infused, like, consecutively ever in my life. But whenever I started, I realized that it's not that bad to infuse once a week.
Since switching to ALTUVIIIO, I haven't had any bleeds, and I also have higher sustained Factor VIII levels. I think that it's made me and my dad a lot closer because we both have hemophilia, and we, like, have that in common. It's important for me to get my message out there because I haven't met many girls like me who infuse on a weekly basis, and I wanted to let them know that it's important for them to stand up for themselves and they aren't alone.
Derek:
We are being compensated for sharing our story with you.
If I were talking to somebody about switching ALTUVIIIO, I would encourage it. Brooklynn and I have had a wonderful experience with it.
VO:
INDICATION
ALTUVIIIO [antihemophilic factor (recombinant), Fc-VWF-XTEN fusion protein-ehtl] is an injectable medicine that is used to control and reduce the number of bleeding episodes in people with hemophilia A (congenital Factor VIII deficiency).
Your healthcare provider may give you ALTUVIIIO when you have surgery.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is the most important information I need to know about ALTUVIIIO?
Do not attempt to give yourself an injection unless you have been taught how by your healthcare provider or hemophilia center. You must carefully follow your healthcare provider’s instructions regarding the dose and schedule for injecting ALTUVIIIO so that your treatment will work best for you.
Who should not use ALTUVIIIO?
You should not use ALTUVIIIO if you have had an allergic reaction to it in the past.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before using ALTUVIIIO?
Tell your healthcare provider if you have had any medical problems, take any medications, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, supplements, or herbal medicines, are breastfeeding, or are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
What are the possible side effects of ALTUVIIIO?
You can have an allergic reaction to ALTUVIIIO. Call your healthcare provider or emergency department right away if you have any of the following symptoms: difficulty breathing, chest tightness, swelling of the face, rash, or hives.
Your body can also make antibodies called “inhibitors” against ALTUVIIIO. This can stop ALTUVIIIO from working properly. Your healthcare provider may give you blood tests to check for inhibitors.
The common side effects of ALTUVIIIO are headache and joint pain.
These are not the only possible side effects of ALTUVIIIO. Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.
Please see full Prescribing Information.
Derek: “When I was diagnosed with hemophilia as an infant, it came as a complete shock to my parents because we had no family history of it. But when Brooklynn was born in 2007, I had a very strong feeling she would have it, too, especially after my younger sister Courtney was diagnosed. The doctors were doubtful, but a few weeks after she was born, we had her factor levels checked and she was diagnosed with mild hemophilia A.”
Brooklynn: “Growing up, I didn’t notice my hemophilia very much. Since I have mild hemophilia, I didn’t have trouble with bleeds like my dad did when he was a kid. It wasn’t until I got into cheerleading that I realized I needed to take extra precautions. I try to limit my activities and avoid hurting myself when I can. But sometimes that’s hard to do because my coaches don’t always understand how serious hemophilia can be. I do my best to advocate for myself and tell my coaches when I’m hurting.”
Derek: “Over the years, we’ve both been on a variety of treatments. With the medical advancements I had seen over the years, I hoped for a longer-lasting treatment that would allow me to have more time between infusions. So when my doctor mentioned once-weekly infusions with ALTUVIIIO, my ears perked up. He explained that ALTUVIIIO was shown to have higher-for-longer factor levels in the near-normal to normal range, over 40%, for most of the week. It also showed a 48-hour half-life in adults. I started ALTUVIIIO in July of 2023, just a couple months after Brooklynn and her doctor decided it would be a good fit for her as well.”
Brooklynn: “My dad and I do our infusions at home and continue navigating our journeys with hemophilia together. I like to share my experience because I want to be a role model for my little sisters, who also have hemophilia, and other girls like me. I used to be so scared of hemophilia and of getting infused, but over the years, I’ve learned how to take care of myself. If you have hemophilia, keep standing up for yourself and the people you love. It’s definitely worth it.”
Derek and Brooklynn are promotional speakers compensated by Sanofi. Peer stories based on data collected March 2026.
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ALTUVIIIO® [antihemophilic factor (recombinant), Fc-VWF-XTEN fusion protein-ehtl] is an injectable medicine that is used to control and reduce the number of bleeding episodes in people with hemophilia A (congenital Factor VIII deficiency).
Your healthcare provider may give you ALTUVIIIO when you have surgery.
What is the most important information I need to know about ALTUVIIIO?
Do not attempt to give yourself an injection unless you have been taught how by your healthcare provider or hemophilia center. You must carefully follow your healthcare provider’s instructions regarding the dose and schedule for injecting ALTUVIIIO so that your treatment will work best for you.
Who should not use ALTUVIIIO?
You should not use ALTUVIIIO if you have had an allergic reaction to it in the past.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before using ALTUVIIIO?
Tell your healthcare provider if you have had any medical problems, take any medications, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, supplements, or herbal medicines, are breastfeeding, or are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
What are the possible side effects of ALTUVIIIO?
You can have an allergic reaction to ALTUVIIIO. Call your healthcare provider or emergency department right away if you have any of the following symptoms: difficulty breathing, chest tightness, swelling of the face, rash, or hives.
Your body can also make antibodies called “inhibitors” against ALTUVIIIO. This can stop ALTUVIIIO from working properly. Your healthcare provider may give you blood tests to check for inhibitors.
The common side effects of ALTUVIIIO are headache and joint pain.
These are not the only possible side effects of ALTUVIIIO. Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.
Please see full Prescribing Information.
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