By Melanie Bloom

2007-11-01

Ms. Bloom is the National Patient Spokesperson for the Coalition to Prevent DVT.

Editor’s Note: This is a compelling example of a disease that all of us take for granted, and we assume or think everyone in the lay public also knows about it. However, as pointed out in this article, 74 percent of Americans have no knowledge about what DVT is. This should reinforce to us the job we need to do as hematologists to educate the lay public. ASH is pleased that Ms. Bloom will be in attendance at this year’s annual meeting and she is very anxious to be a part of the special session on venous thromboembolism.

Four years ago, I received a phone call that changed my life forever. My husband David Bloom, a reporter for NBC News who had been embedded with the 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq, lost his life. But, the killer was not an insurgent’s bullet or an IED explosion; rather the bomb was buried deep inside David’s own body. His death was due to a blood clot.

Prior to David’s death, I had never heard of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism, and I wasn’t alone. In 2003, I was just one of the 74 percent of Americans who had no knowledge of this condition. But after David’s death, I dedicated myself to learning more and spreading the word. I wanted to share my newfound knowledge with as many people as I could; I felt if I could spare just one family the tragedy that my family and I suffered, David’s death would not be in vain. In 2004, I joined the Coalition to Prevent DVT and have had the wonderful opportunity to reach millions of Americans with our message.

I continue to be inspired by the many patients who have shared their stories with the Coalition, some with happy endings and some with heartbreaking endings like my own. As I know firsthand, it is both encouraging and comforting to realize that no one is facing this alone. To me, the most inspiring part of being the national patient spokesperson for the Coalition to Prevent DVT is knowing that by getting the message out we can have an impact on others’ lives. After all, how often do we get the chance to do work that can have such a profound effect?

For me and millions of patients nationwide, DVT is much more than a nameless and faceless condition. David’s DVT changed my life, but it has also given me a new purpose. Serving as the national spokesperson for the Coalition has allowed me to channel my grief into something positive and transform tragedy into a message of hope. I have learned that helping others is the greatest healer of all.

The Coalition to Prevent DVT is a national organization made up of more than 50 representatives from medical societies, patient advocacy groups, and other public health organizations. The organization is dedicated to reducing the immediate and long-term dangers of deep-vein thrombosis and its potentially fatal complication, pulmonary embolism. Ms. Bloom is one of four panelists for the 2007 annual meeting special session on venous thromboembolism. This special session is scheduled for Saturday, December 8, at 4:00 p.m.

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