Dan Credazzi spoke with Suzanne O'Callaghan from HFA about his experiences at the Conference

Suzanne: What was your overall impression of the conference?

Dan: It was one of the best I have attended. It was small enough to talk to people and catch up with a lot of people, but I also gained a lot more new information than at previous conferences.

Suzanne: What sessions stood out for you?

Dan: I was very interested in the presentations from Dr Paula James from Canada on women and bleeding disorders. This was where I learned the most new information: the numbers of women who are actually affected but undiagnosed, and her experiences in her own clinics and the relevance of the personal stories she related. For me it identified a whole under-engaged population.

Also I was very impressed by Professor John Rasko’s presentation on gene therapy. It was the first time I had heard at one of our conferences that a cure was within reach. As a parent of a teenager with haemophilia, I have been waiting for 13 years to meet someone like Prof Rasko. It was quite significant to hear about the success of his trials in Sydney – and invigorating because this is a step-change in the progress of treatment development in haemophilia.

Prof John Rasko presenting on gene therapy

Suzanne: What was the most memorable aspect?

Dan: I really liked the Men’s Breakfast and the stories from the panelists, David, Paul and Tim. David’s positive attitude was absolutely inspiring: his perseverance through pain and bleeds and no treatment and being rural, and his physical stamina over decades of his life. It was refreshing also to hear from the young men and see their positive approach to life.

Suzanne: What was your take home message from the conference?

Dan: Once again it brought home to me that this is a Conference that is really worth attending. It was like everything came together – even the blood cell design on the carpet at the hotel! It was such a co-incidence and I thought it made for a perfect bleeding disorders conference venue.

But I came away being aware that there are many more unidentified females with bleeding disorders and that this is something where foundations will need to continue to develop focused support.