Typical Saturday for a kid with Hemophilia?

Well, maybe not. But what's typical? A weekend choc full of events is nothing new for my active 8-year-old.

Hemophilia Walk: 10:00 am



Soccer game: 2:00 pm



Baseball game: 5:00 pm



He may not have been tired but I sure was. Hemophilia or not it takes a lot to keep up with these kids.

Now if he could put as much effort into his homework.

Hemophilia friend, Skip Caray

Longtime sports broadcaster Skip Caray died Sunday at the age of 68. Much about Caray we know. He was the voice of the Atlanta Braves for 33 years. He was there when Ted Turner transformed the Atlanta television station, WTBS, into a cable superstation. He was the son of legendary Chicago Cub’s announcer Harry Caray. And his “Braves win, Braves win” rang loud and often (irritatingly so for a Pirates and Astros fan) since the late ‘80s.

Other things were not so well known. He devoted many hours to volunteer work. Much of it with Camp Twin Lakes, a Rutledge, Georgia camp for kids with special needs. And according to several news reports Caray also worked with the Hemophilia Association.

Why wasn’t this more known?

I assume by Hemophilia Association it is meant Hemophilia of Georgia. Perhaps he became associated with hemophilia through his involvement with Camp Twin Lakes, the location for the Georgia hemophilia camp. But I don’t know and would like to know more.

Many folks donate time, money and effort out of a sheer sense of purpose. They ask nothing in return preferring the anonymity of their charity. God bless them. They are dearly needed. But at the same time this bleeding disorders community is desperate for a national voice or identity. We are such a small community yet with such great needs that there has to be a better effort to make use of the connections we have and to garner more. Even though celebrities like Skip Caray are more niche (sports) or regional, when good people like him are associated with causes like hemophilia it can only reflect well on the bleeding disorders community and perhaps encourage someone else of notoriety to lend a hand.

I’m glad to know the folks of Georgia had a good friend in Skip Caray. Too bad many of us learned of it only at his passing.

Unassisted triple play

No, not Jack in little league,but the Tribe's Asdrubal Cabrera. On Monday night the Cleveland Indian second baseman turned only the 14th such feat in Major League history. To put it into perspective there have been 15 perfect games which makes the unassisted triple play the rarest of baseball achievements. What's really cool about the play-by-play call is that even before Cabrera caught the ball the announcers were calling 'triple play, triple play.' The runners were moving on the pitch and the broken bat liner was so close to second base Cabrera couldn't help but turn the rare three-out play.

Asdrubal Cabrera Turns Unassisted Triple Play
Uploaded by Machochip

Baseball - Jack legging a triple

Jack had a game last night and I remembered to bring the camera (and actually use it!).

Here's Jack hitting a legitimate double and taking third on the throwing error. But hey it's seven and eight-year-old machine pitch, so that's a triple. Jack has severe hemophilia A but that hasn't stopped him from enjoying his natural athletic ability. Ain't factor great!

With two games left in the season, Jack's team is 8-3-1 and in second place.

Baseball...closer to home

This is Jack, my 8-year-old. Jack has severe hemophilia A but thanks to modern factor concentrates and prophylaxis he gets to do things like play baseball and basketball and soccer and swimming. And you know what (he says proudly), he's quite good.

Play Ball!

The line are chalked, the grass is trimmed and the red, white and blue bunting is hung with precision.

Baseball. America's pastime.

It's Opening Day of the 2008 Major League season.

Who's it going to be in October? Red Sox again? Yankees? Tigers?

Can the Braves rebound? Will it be the Mets? Can the Rocks surprise once more?

Or will it finally be the year for an Astros - Indians Matchup? I know. I won't hold my breath.