The West Virginia Chapter of the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation (WVNBDF) is dedicated to finding cures for inheritable blood disorders and to addressing and preventing the complications of these disorders through research, education, and advocacy enabling people and families to thrive. Established in 1948, the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation (formerly NHF) has chapters throughout the country. Its programs and initiatives are made possible through the generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations as well as through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The WV chapter was founded in 2014 out of a need to raise awareness for voices not heard. We have continued to make a difference with the help of our donors and volunteers that make our mission possible. We look forward to your partnership as, together, we improve the lives of people with bleeding disorders.
About NBDF
In August 2023, the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation announced its new name after 75 years as the National Hemophilia Foundation.
National Hemophilia Foundation was founded in 1948 by Robert and Betty Jane Henry, parents of a young boy with hemophilia. When their son, Lee, was born, the only treatment for hemophilia was blood transfusions. The life expectation for a person with hemophilia was around 24 years old. However, the Henrys were determined to do everything they could to make life better for their only son – including frequent blood transfusions from father to son.
The Henrys knew that there must be other families in the country like theirs, isolated by fear and frustrated by lack of research and treatment. With no organization to support them, Robert Henry decided to create what he and these other families needed. In 1948, he founded what was then called the Hemophilia Foundation. In the ensuing years, he would build the organization into one that brought doctors and researchers together, and supported families who were struggling to keep their children healthy. In 1954, he established the foundation’s Medical Advisory Council (now Medical and Scientific Advisory Council) to issue treatment and research recommendations for people with hemophilia. All across the country, chapters of the began to spring up, created by parents of children with hemophilia, who worked to organize blood drives, raise money and awareness, and encourage doctors and researchers to search for a cure.
Today, the foundation serves people across the US with all bleeding disorders, including hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, rare factor deficiencies, and platelet disorders. We support a network of 50 chapters across the country. We have given more than 22 million dollars to bleeding disorders research. We provide education and support to countless families with bleeding disorders, seek to find resources for undiagnosed women with bleeding disorders, and work tirelessly to protect access to healthcare on the state and local level. Each year, we also award the best and brightest in our community.
Robert and Betty Jane Henry founded the organization because they knew they could enact meaningful change by bringing families affected by bleeding disorders together. They wanted to ensure that people with bleeding disorders were heard by scientists and healthcare providers; legislators and government agencies. Decades later, we honor the legacy of the Henrys by ensuring the bleeding disorders community remains at the heart of everything we do.
