World Hemophilia Day Highlights Life with a Bleeding Disorder

This day was chosen by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) to honor the birthday of its founder, Frank Schnabel, and serves as an opportunity to raise awareness about hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, such as von Willebrand disease. In the Czech Republic, approximately one thousand people live with this condition, one-fifth of whom are children. This year's World Hemophilia Day also draws attention to the specific needs of women and girls with bleeding disorders. They often face delayed diagnoses and inadequate care, which significantly affects their quality of life. Therefore, WFH emphasizes the importance of improving access to diagnosis and treatment for all patients, regardless of gender.

As part of this year’s Light It Up Red campaign, which symbolically expresses solidarity with patients and raises public awareness about the diagnosis, notable landmarks across the Czech Republic will be lit up in red. This year, the following sites will be illuminated:

• Prague (Petřín Lookout Tower)
• Ostrava (Miloš Sýkora Bridge)
• Olomouc (Town Hall and ZOO Observation Tower)
• Plzeň (Town Hall)
• Liberec (Town Hall)
• Opava (Park Arcades)
• Náchod (Community House)
• Hranice (Entrance Facade of the Castle Courtyard – Town Hall)
• Nymburk (Church of St. Giles)
• Jaroměř (Marian Plague Column and Bike Tower)
• Humpolec (Medova Villa)
• Brandýs nad Labem (Castle)

A significant part of this year's events was the hike to Ještěd, which took place on April 12, 2025. More than 130 people participated, including members of the Czech Hemophilia Association, their families, and supporters. The event symbolically followed last year’s successful expedition to Mont Blanc, undertaken by Daniel Šimek, the first Czech person with hemophilia to reach the summit. By participating, Šimek once again demonstrated that even a serious illness does not have to be a barrier to achieving major life goals.