Famous People With Hemophilia

Hemophilia is a genetic blood disorder that is invariably inherited. In case people suffering from this disorder get injured, their blood does not have the ability to clot. This makes the disorder highly dangerous as they sufferers can bleed to death. Hemophilia is quite a rare disease, and it is estimated that around eighteen thousand people in the US have it and around four hundred children are born each year with this blood disorder.

While life for a hemophiliac can be a little difficult as they have to take precautions not to get hurt, their condition should not stop them from achieving great things in life. There have been several famous people who were hemophiliacs, but still managed to leave their mark behind. Here are some of them:

Tsarvich Alexei: He was the son of Nicholas II, the czar of Russia. His mother, Alexandra Feodorovna, was the carrier of the gene mutation that caused the hemophilia. Being the only son, it was understood that he would inherit the throne. So, he was watched over very carefully. It is said that because Rasputin has the ability to treat Alexei’s disorder, the czarina had great faith in him. However, Alexei never ascended to the throne because he and his family members were executed during the Russian Revolution.

Prince Leopold, the Duke of Albany: He was the son of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria. His mother was the monarch of Britain. Because he has a rare blood disease, Leopold led a very sheltered life. However, this did not save him when he slipped and fell at the Yacht Club in France. A couple of hours after sustaining the injury, Leopold died on March 27, 1884.

Ryan Wayne White: This young school boy gained recognition when he decided to take on his school authorities for expelling him from school on account of AIDS. Ryan was diagnosed with hemophilia 6 days after he was born. As his condition was severe, he required frequent blood transfusions. In one such session, he contracted AIDS. The school showed its ignorance where the disease is concerned by expelling him and this led Ryan to take his school authorities to court. The case was covered quite a bit by the media and finally Ryan became a spokesperson for AIDS research and creating public awareness. When he was diagnosed with AIDS in the year 1984, the doctors had just given him 6 months to survive. However, he managed to surprise all the people around him and lived until the year 1990. Right after his death, the US Congress passed a legislation concerning AIDS and the act was dedicated to Ryan. It was known as the Ryan White Care Act.