lives changed: Jeremy

Born with severe hemophilia he's determined to walk again.

JeremyJeremy was determined to walk again. Born with severe hemophilia he developed an inhibitor whereby his body rejected the medication he needed to stop his bleeding episodes. He suffered bleed after painful bleed in his joints. By the time Jeremy was six, his legs were so crippled he could no longer walk. Then in 2000, when Jeremy was 9, he and his family attended the first-ever weekend for families affected by inhibitors, organized by the Canadian Hemophilia Society. There, Jeremy met Dr. Georges Rivard, a specialist in the treatment of inhibitors. Dr. Rivard thought there might be a way to provide Jeremy with effective treatment.

When Jeremy went home, his care team, in collaboration with Dr. Rivard, began a new therapy to coax his body to accept the infusions. After many, many months, it worked. Jeremy underwent operations on his knees and required physiotherapy. By the time he was 10, Jeremy was able to walk again. Jeremy is now 18 years and although his legs are still somewhat weak and he is unable to bend his knees, he is extremely happy to be independent and able to do things he thought he would never do.

Back