"I have attended multiple HFA Symposiums in the past 15 years. Last year I met a shy little boy. He was 4 years old. He was with his mom and he had hemophilia, like I do. Little did I know that today, almost a year later we would still be in touch. We have texted (via his mom), shared photos and talked on the phone. He is my youngest Blood Brother yet. I have promised to meet with him again this year at the Symposium. The point I wanted to make is that the HFA Symposium brings families together irrespective of any difference of color, age, sex or other social status of the attendees. It's been the unifying force. The Symposium has something for everyone- education, entertainment, advocacy or relaxation. It’s been a place we also memorialize community members who are no longer with us, irrespective my relationship with them. You can have it all in one place each year. This is where I too belong each year."