Bleeding Disorder Clinic Celebrates 30th Anniversary
January 20, 2009
EDMONTON, AB - Alberta Health Services is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Dr. John Akabutu Comprehensive Centre for Bleeding Disorders. The clinic - at the University of Alberta Hospital and Stollery Children's Hospital - is for patients with hemophilia, a serious bleeding disorder that occurs when blood lacks a protein causing it to clot normally."
Bleeding disorders occur in people of all ages and can have a devastating impact on their ability to live a normal lifestyle," says Dr. John Akabutu, who helped to found the clinic three decades ago. "Celebrating the 30th anniversary of this clinic is a tremendous milestone and an example of how Alberta Health Services continues to offer specialized services to Albertans."
Hemophilia is usually an inherited disorder that affects boys and rarely appears in girls. Occasionally, hemophilia can affect patients with no family history of the disorder. Such is the case with two-year-old Jaxon Neurauter, who was diagnosed with hemophilia when his mother noticed that just lifting him gently from his crib would leave thumb-shaped bruises on his skin.
Through specialized training offered at the clinic, Jaxon's parents have learned to administer prophylactic clotting factor directly into a catheter in Jaxon's chest three times a week.
"At first we were terrified, but the training we got at the clinic was excellent," says Jason Neurauter, Jaxon's father. "It’s reassuring to be able to give Jaxon a chance to do what all little boys do; they play, they run, they fall down."
Thirty years ago, children like Jaxon faced an uncertain future. They often suffered excruciating pain and joint damage caused by uncontrolled internal bleeding and many children afflicted with hemophilia became wheelchair bound as they could no longer bend their knees without pain.
"The clinic was created to give these patients some control over their own lives, not only by treating their own bleeds, but by helping to prevent them in the first place," says Dr. Akabutu. "In doing so, their future quality of life could be assured."
Now led by Dr. Bruce Ritchie, Assistant Professor, Clinical Hematology and Dr. Nancy Dower, Pediatric Hematologist, Stollery Children's Hospital, the clinic treats 700 patients a year. The clinic is managed by a nurse who coordinates all of the patient's visits with the hematologist, physiotherapist, dentist, orthopedic specialists, and social workers. The clinic also treats patients with other types of bleeding disorders, including Von Willebrands disease, a bleeding disorder that affects one in every 100 people.
Alberta Health Services is a province-wide system responsible for planning and delivering accessible and sustainable patient-focused health services to more than 3.5 million Albertans.
- 30 -
For media inquiries, please contact:
Deborah Johnston, Public Affairs
Phone: 780-407-1834
Pager: 780-445-3309
