Milestones
LadyBugs'TM Booth has Largest Attendance in History!
LadyBugsTM was thrilled to be a part of the 2007 National Hemophilia Foundation conference November 1-3 in Orlando, Florida. With the largest attendance in NHF history, the LadyBugs'TM booth was filled to capacity with women sharing and gathering information about their bleeding disorders, as well as enjoying LadyBug chocolates and other fun LadyBug giveaways. "Women with our signature LadyBugs'TM pins were spotted all over the conference," noted Shari Bender, Director of Communications at LadyBugsTM. Give LadyBugsTM a call today for your free LadyBug Hugs' pin, or catch us at our next event. Thanks to all who visited us in Orlando!
2007
June
LadyBugs, LLCTM Presents at the Tennessee Hemophilia and Bleeding Disorders Foundation Annual Meeting
LadyBugTM Dr. Diane Kholos Wysocki presented Women with Bleeding Disorders 101 at the Tennessee Hemophilia and Bleeding Disorders Foundation Annual Meeting. Diane's PowerPoint presentation included a few personal experiences as well as statistics covering common concerns and questions that women with bleeding disorders could relate to. Diane presented two breakout sessions with a variety of individuals attending. The evaluations received were 100% positive. The TN Foundation had their own evaluations for WWBDs; and they, too, were excellent. The women in attendance were extremely thankful for the information and time provided to them.
LadyBugsTM Donates to the National Hemophilia Foundation's Walk-A-Thon Fundraiser
LadyBugsTM donates to NHF's Walk-A-Thon Fundraiser in honor of LadyBugs™ Shari and Rose Bender.
May
LadyBugsTM Attends Women's Health Fair in Bellingham, Washington
LadyBugsTM Barb Forss and Cathy Payson attend the Women's Health Fair at Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, Wash., on May 11. The Health Fair is sponsored by St. Joseph's Hospital in Bellingham, Wash., where Barb is a patient advocate on several committees working with hospital staff members. Barb and Cathy do outreach, education, and advocacy for WWBDs by distributing literature to and networking with the attendees from N.W. Washington.
April
LadyBugsTM in New York!
LadyBugTM Shari Bender attends the BDAST (Bleeding Disorder Association of the Southern Tier) meeting in Cortland, N.Y. on April 28. Shari shares her experiences and facilitates an animated women's breakout session. All the women leave the session with a new LadyBugs'™ pin and a new feeling of empowerment!
LadyBugsTM Hosts "Saturday in Seattle"
LadyBugsTM hosts "Saturday in Seattle," a one-day educational symposium and networking retreat on April 14 for WWBDs in Seattle, Wash., with participation by representatives from the Puget Sound Blood Center (Cheryl Brower, R.N., and Susan Kocik, M.S.W.). Also in attendance are chapter representatives from the Bleeding Disorder Foundation of Washington.
The day begins with an empowering keynote speaker, Helen Thayer - the first woman and oldest person ever to travel on foot to the North Pole, with only her 94 lb. dog, Charlie, at her side.
Attendees are then instructed in how to advocate for themselves through Dr. Danielle Stueber's presentation, "Getting What You Need from Your Doctor." The day ends with networking, a gift-basket giveaway, and an opportunity to ask questions of our panel of experts. "Saturday in Seattle" is a great day for renewing old friendships and meeting new WWBDs to socialize and share experiences.
LadyBugsTM Establishes
Cindy Neveu Memorial Foundation
LadyBugsTM establishes the Cindy Neveu Memorial Foundation in honor of LadyBugTM Cindy Neveu, one of the first WWBDs Barb Forss met after her own diagnosis in 1998. Cindy founded the website www.shemophilia.org and was a passionate educator and advocate for the entire community. Her life was a model for empowering women to take charge of their lives and become proactive in the community.
This foundation will provide financial assistance to women with bleeding disorders who need help with expenses incurred in the course of their treatment.
Donations may be sent to:
The Cindy Neveu Memorial Foundation
6397 Olson Road
Ferndale, WA 98248
March
LadyBugsTM Barb Forss Presents at Patient Safety Conference
LadyBugTM Barb Forss, Patient Representative from St. Joseph's Hospital in Bellingham, Wash., helps present a session titled "Patients as Partners on Teams" at the 2007 Northwest Patient Safety Conference in Seattle, Wash. Keynote speaker is Don Berwick, M.D., MPP; President, CEO, and Co-founder of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Barb's continuing participation in IHI's campaigns and on local hospital committees as a patient advocate allows her to spread the word on WWBDs and LadyBugsTM. As the audience is made up primarily of health care providers, nurses, and doctors, this is a wonderful opportunity for outreach and education. Many attendees ask questions about WWBDs, having heard of them for the first time at this session.
LadyBugsTM Attends HFA Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico
LadyBugsTM attends the annual Hemophilia Federation of America Conference in Albuquerque, N.M. LadyBugsTM is excited to hand out their newly designed LadyBugs'TM Education folders and Speakers' Bureau slicks to attendees. Current and future LadyBugs™ are identified and treated to a networking opportunity with other WWBDs.
2006
LadyBugsTM in Zurich, Switzerland
LadyBugTM Barb Forss was invited to speak at a Novo Nordisk Research Conference in Zurich, Switzerland. The attendees were primarily physicians from around the world who were interested in the use of NovoSeven recombinant clotting factor. Many of these physicians had never met a person with F-VII deficiency, a rare, hereditary bleeding disorder that Barb lives with.
One session included the mother of a son with hemophilia who has an inhibitor. When Barb found out that the young boy would soon be having a right ankle synovectomy, a surgery she also had to control bleeding, the two women decided to have lunch together and discuss their many similar issues. The result wasn't just meeting a new friend, but adding an additional LadyBugTM to our member roster, our first Swiss LadyBugTM!
LadyBugsTM in Thailand
LadyBugTM Diane Wysocki, Ph.D., presented her paper, Sexual Complications in Women with Genetic and Acquired Bleeding Disorders, at the 9th Asia Oceanic Congress of Sexology in Bangkok. The following day Diane presented "Women with Bleeding Disorders 101" to the nursing faculty and students at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
LadyBugsTM Named Director of Communications
LadyBugsTM named Shari Bender as Director of Communications. Shari holds a B.A. in Communications from Stanford University and is the proud mom of a girl with hemophilia. Shari is a longtime community volunteer, having served on various NHF committees like First Step (for new parents) and Project Red Flag (for women with bleeding disorders). Shari was also instrumental in the National Hemophilia Foundation's "Time for a Cure" campaign, where she wrote and produced a video highlighting the campaign. She is thrilled to expand her volunteer opportunities to include LadyBugsTM. Shari is a member of our newly created Speakers' Bureau and will also serve on our Advisory Board. Be sure to find Shari at our next event and give her a LadyBugTM hug!
LadyBugsTM Attend NHF Convention
LadyBugsTM was pleased to report that hundreds of attendees of the recent National Hemophilia Foundation Convention in Philadelphia stopped by our friendly booth to share stories and sign up for LadyBugTM email news. WWBDs, HTC social workers, nurses, and NHF chapter reps visited the booth and expressed interest in our programs. Visitors munched on delicious dark chocolates while chatting about and getting support for women with bleeding disorders. Thank you to all who came by our booth!
Diane Wysocki, Ph.D., a member of the LadyBugs'TM Advisory Board, spoke at the Nebraska Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation in Lincoln, Neb. on "Living Life as a Woman with a Bleeding Disorder." Many of the attendees needed help with insurance issues and diagnosis and were referred to the ladybugsupport.com website for resources. Brochures were distributed for placement in offices in and around Lincoln.
A two-day WWBD retreat was held in Rochester, NY at the deluxe Woodcliff Lodge. Twenty-five attendees were treated to all meals, lodging, and a LadyBugs'TM program, including presentations by Danielle Stueber, M.D., a physician and woman with hemophilia, and Shari Bender, mother of a daughter with hemophilia. Ann Marie Nazzarro, Ph.D., of NHF gave us Project Red Flag information; and Peter Kouides, M.D., spoke about the latest research and development on VWD, followed by Q & A. Evaluation forms were 100% positive, and we looked forward to working with this wonderful HTC again!
LadyBugsTM donated to NHF's Walk-A-Thon Fundraiser in honor of LadyBug™ Shari Bender and her daughter, Rose, who has severe hemophilia A.
A Women's Health Expo was held in Bellingham, Wash., and attended by Barb Forss, who distributed LadyBugsTM tracts for placement in women's health clinics.
Barb Forss and LadyBugsTM were profiled in The Bellingham Herald, readership of about 56,000. New contacts were made in response to the article.
Danielle Stueber, M.D., and Barb Forss attended the annual Hemophilia Federation of America Conference in St. Louis and networked with other WWBDs, handing out our newly-designed tract for outreach placement in clinics and medical offices.
LadyBugsTM in New Jersey
LadyBugTM Barb Forss was the only person with a bleeding disorder asked to speak at the grand opening of Novo Nordisk Research U.S. (NNRUS), the new facility in Brunswick, N.J. Barb, who has severe Factor VII deficiency, spoke about the use of NovoSeven clotting factor to control her bleeds and how much it has improved her quality of life.
The inauguration of NNRUS marked the opening of the first homeostasis research facility in the United States dedicated to life-threatening bleeding. A crowd of about 80 people attended the event, including New Jersey government officials. Along with Forss, founder of LadyBugsTM, the women with bleeding disorders support group, speakers included President Martin Soeters; Friis Arne Petersen, Denmark's Ambassador to the United States; Dr. Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Chief Science Officer at Novo Nordisk A/S; Dr. Marc Carr, Vice President of NNRUS; Dr. Jerrold Levy of Emory University School of Medicine; and Caren Franzini, Chief Executive Officer of the N.J. Economic Development Authority.
A special highlight of the day was the appearance of NovoSeven inventor, Dr. Ulla Hedner, whom Barb Forss met for the first time. Forss thanked Dr. Hedner and Novo Nordisk for their commitment to the study of bleeding disorders, as she unpinned her special LadyBugTM pin from her own jacket and pinned it on Dr. Hedner's, commenting that there is no greater honor than to be able to meet and personally thank the creator of the medicine that allows members of the community to control hemorrhagic episodes.
LadyBugsTM Craft Day Event Held in Boise, Idaho
Attendees spent the day lunching, networking, and making fun spa products at the Ladybugs Soap Shop. A presentation was given on starting a local LadyBugs'TM group. We spent time discussing the challenges of being recognized in the community as having a bleeding disorder and how to help overcome these challenges and better advocate for treatment and management of a chronic condition.
2005
LadyBugTM had an educational/outreach booth at the National Hemophilia Foundation's Annual Conference in San Diego, Calif. Our Open House/Dessert Night was a success with attendance by board members Lavern Cumby, Jayne Reetz, and Diane Wysocki, and Medical Consultant Andi James.
LadyBugsTM became a subsidiary of FactorHealth Management, LLCTM; a logo was designed and trademarked. An advisory board was implemented, and plans were discussed for a LadyBugs'TM event.
LadyBugs'TM founder was profiled in Hemophilia Federation of America's newsletter and in an article in the National Hemophilia Foundation's HemAware magazine after Barb solicited stories about WWBDs and pregnancy/childbirth issues from her list of WWBDs. LadyBugs'TM founder, Barb Forss, spoke about the power of support at Hemophilia Federation of America's Women's Retreat at their annual conference in Nashville.
LadyBugs'TM founder was profiled in Hemophilia Federation of America's newsletter and in an article in the National Hemophilia Foundation's HemAware magazine after Barb solicited stories about WWBDs and pregnancy/childbirth issues from her list of WWBDs. LadyBugs'TM founder, Barb Forss, spoke about the power of support at Hemophilia Federation of America's Women's Retreat at their annual conference in Nashville.
2004-2000
LadyBugTM pins were handed out at NHF's On the Road Conference in Seattle by Barb Forss and Cathy Payson to any WWBD who was interested in staying in touch.
The name LadyBugsTM was coined when one of Barb's regular WWBD contacts sent her an article about how ladybugs do something called "reflex bleeding in their joints" when stressed. She began making LadyBugTM pins for her Support Group of WWBDs and either handed them out at meetings or mailed them. LadyBugsTM began holding events such as teas, picnics, and craft days throughout Washington state using the ladybug theme. All WWBDs on Barb's list, no matter where they lived, were invited to attend.
After meeting other WWBDs in Washington state, Barb (newly computer-literate!) began a WWBD Support Newsletter, including every name of every WWBD she had spoken with since her diagnosis. She attended two more NHF On The Road Conferences and collected more names. WWBDs began meeting and planning future events.
1999
Newly relocated to Washington state, Barb was asked to speak at the annual meeting of the Bleeding Disorder Foundation (formerly Hemophilia Foundation) of Washington. The guest speaker was Diane Wysocki, Ph.D., and together they talked about being women living with a bleeding disorder, their challenges, and improving the quality of their lives through empowering relationships and support with other WWBDs.
1998
Barb joined her local NHF chapter, Hemophilia Foundation of Illinois, and was trained in Project Red Flag's original "Woman-To-Woman" Outreach Program on how to spread the word about WWBDs who are undiagnosed. She gained much insight and support from other WWBDs, especially Diane Wysocki, Rene Paper, Jill Williams, and Cindy Neveu, who have worked hard for years to raise awareness of WWBDs.
LadyBugsTM Begins!
Barb Forss was newly diagnosed as a woman with a bleeding disorder and attended her first National Hemophilia Conference in Orlando, Fla., where she began (pre-computer!) networking with other WWBDs by phone and mail, and sharing information and ideas. The idea of a support group for WWBDs was born.
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