Youth News – Going For It!

The Haemophilia Foundation Australia’s Go for it Grants program assists people living with bleeding disorders take the first step towards achieving their goals. The Grant judges have reviewed the applications for the 2018 program and we should hear who has been successful soon.

Some young people in our community have applied for and received this award in the past. In this issue of Youth News we have another look at the stories and experiences Pat, Jayden and Sam shared on Factored In.

PAT’S STORY

Pat warming up wearing his new shoes
Photo: Mitch Farnell, NT Cricket

Last year, Pat received a grant to enable him to play cricket in Darwin. He said ‘The Go For it Grant financially assisted me in my journey from Adelaide to play cricket this year in Darwin. It really helped in the first two weeks when my only cricket shoes broke and required immediate replacing.’

Pat explained that he was also grateful for the support of the Northern Territory haemophilia specialist, which has allowed him to play the sport he loves: ‘Other than [my cricket shoes breaking], the season has been relatively hassle free and thanks to the help from the haemophilia specialist up here, I have only missed the 1 game because of an injury.

‘Currently we are on mid-season break where the 8 teams are split into 4 for a premier competition called “Strike League”. Fortunately I have been lucky enough to be selected to join one of the teams, so my break period will be filled with cricket. This competition appeals to many first class cricketers around Australia, thus giving me the chance to bowl to and stand along-side some of the best young cricketers Australia has to offer. I played my first game on the weekend for them which sadly we lost, but it was a class above any grade I have participated in before.

Without the assistance from the Go For It Grant, I would have either been struck down with injury or had to work instead of playing.’

JAYDEN’S STORY

Jayden and his clubs getting ready for a round of golf

Another sporting enthusiast, Jayden used his Grant to assist him with his study at West Virginia University Institute of Technology where he had already received a Golf scholarship for his Tuition. Jayden heard about the Go For It Grant when visiting the Alfred Hospital in Victoria at an orientation day. Upon explaining that he had been offered a scholarship to go to the USA, the Haemophilia Treatment Centre staff proposed that he apply for the Go For It Grant to help him with his flights and college fees in West Virginia.

When asked about his 4 year Aerospace engineering course, he explained, ‘I wanted to be an engineer before I got the offer to go overseas and I still wanted to do something in aviation’. It seemed like this scholarship would be the perfect opportunity for Jayden to do both.

His advice to others is: ‘Take every opportunity and get everything organised as quickly as possible and as efficiently as you can. Yeah just try and make it happen – if you’re suffering with a blood condition – it doesn’t mean that you can’t do the things you want to do.’

SAM’S STORY

Sam takes selfies with the Factored In poster at the WFH Congress

Sam took a different path with his Go For It Grant, and used it to travel to the WFH Congress in Orlando. Of the Congress he said ‘it was inspiring. The first and most eye-catching thing that you see is a gigantic red banner that had the message “Treatment for All” which was the message for this year’s Congress.

‘The first and most humbling experience was meeting the sheer amount of people from around the whole world that are all here for the same reason – whether they are people with a bleeding disorder looking to see what advancements are happening and how other people are treating, to the doctors and nurses that are looking to other countries as to how they are treating people and the different procedures.

That’s thousands of people, all experiencing the same thoughts and problems that you are. Haemophilia can sometimes be a really personal disorder to suffer through sometimes, and knowing that there are so many other people just like you is eye-opening, and really helped to set me at ease in this large crowd of so many people.’

Sam represents Australia with HFA President Gavin at the WFH General Assembly

ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS

The main message from all of these participants is that the Go For It grant really allowed them to achieve things that they might not have been able to without it.

The Go For It Grants program is about enabling people to reach their goals. If there’s something you want to get involved with but think you might need extra resources or support, maybe consider applying for a grant in 2019.

Look out for the 2018 Grant recipients soon on the HFA website, and keep checking the HFA website later in 2019 for information on how to apply for the next Go For It grants.

Read Pat, Jayden and Sam’s full stories on www.factoredin.org.au.

The HFA Go For It Grants are supported by Pfizer.