Maria is the newest member of the WPBDF Board of Directors and has generously donated her hair to support the bleeding disorders community! In honor of the Unite for Bleeding Disorders Walk, Maria would like your help deciding what color to dye her hair for this special occasion. The hair color choices are bright red, blue, pink, green, orange, purple, half pink/half blue, rainbow, or jet black. The winning hair color will be revealed at the Unite for Bleeding Disorders Walk on Saturday, September 21, at the North Park Swimming Pool in Allison Park, PA!

In order to vote, click on the donate button at the top of the page and select the color you'd like Maria to dye her hair. The color that raises the most money will be Maria's new lucky color! The final day to vote is Saturday, September 7. You are also welcome to vote/donate more than once, and we encourage you to invite your friends and loved ones to join in on this challenge and give our newest board member a big welcome!

The money raised from this challenge will stay 100% local to provide education, advocacy, and support to individuals and families affected by bleeding disorders in the 26 counties of Western Pennsylvania.

Make sure you register for the Unite for Bleeding Disorders Walk to see which color wins! Register for free online at: https://www.uniteforbleedingdisorders.org/event/wpa

Meet Maria:

I had a lot of bruises, nose bleeds, and (undiagnosed) joint bleeds as a child. My mother was told, "It was just who she is." She fully believed it since I was always quite an active child. In a way, educational outreach led to my diagnosis of von Willebrand disease. After the birth of my first child, my bleeding continued for over four months. The third gynecological specialist finally ordered the testing that caught my disease. Her medical training did not assist her decision to test for von Willebrand disease; instead, her sister-in-law speaking about her symptoms helped my gynecologist connect the dots. Who knows where I would be now if that woman had not dared to speak up? I try to take inspiration from her and believe sharing our stories is vitally important for many reasons. Since my diagnosis, I have dedicated my life to educating the public on the symptoms of the bleeding disorder, the difficulties we face due to our health issues, and the legislation that impacts us.

As I always tell my children, all knowledge is power! I am the mother of five exceptional children, four of whom may not have been here today without that one woman being open about her health struggles. I have heard some heart-breaking and unbelievably inspiring stories others have shared at WPBDF events. Those affected, either directly or indirectly, find their voice. Alone, we are but a whisper. Together, we are a chorus. Let us all sing!

Maria has only ever dyed her hair red, as seen in the above photo. You can help choose a brand-new color for her to try!

About WPBDF:

WPBDF serves families with bleeding disorders in 26 counties of Western Pennsylvania. Membership is free for people with bleeding disorders. We provide patient assistance to our members with bleeding disorders as well as hold a variety of educational events that cover a wide range of topics. Because bleeding disorders impact nearly every area of our members lives, we strive to provide relevant and timely information about everything from raising affected children to dealing with financial stress to joint health and treatment concerns and much more.

Hair Dye for a Cause