Carrie will be the primary point-of-contact for NHF’s signature fundraising events, including the Hemophilia Walk, and will assist some of the various programmatic events the chapter hosts. Her start date is May 15th. Welcome, Carrie!

Early on Monday morning, March 5th, 2012, Melissa Swartz found her 1-year old son Eli unresponsive when she came into his room to wake him up.  What she would later find out was that during the night, he had developed a substantial brain bleed that forced him to have emergency surgery where neurosurgeons removed part of his skull in order to drain the blood from his brain.

Eli is in the PICU at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and is expected to step down to the hematology floor at the hospital soon, where he will likely stay for two to three weeks while he recovers.  He’s experiencing a tremendous amount of pain and both of his eyes are swollen shut, which scares and confuses him.

Doctors expect him to need infusions of factor every 12 hours for the next 6-12 months.  Between this and the hospital bills, single mother Melissa Swartz is going to need our help.  If you’re unable to give financially, we encourage you to support her through your prayers and your psychological support.

To send Eli or Melissa a card or note, address them to:

Eli Swartz
1014 Galliton CT Apt D
Columbus, Ohio 43220

or you can e-mail Melissa at melissaswartz7@yahoo.com.

Melissa has told people before that a brain bleed is her worst nightmare, so this is a very frightening experience for her, especially since doctors have told her that Eli will be prone to brain bleeds in the future.  Please help in any way you can.

To donate

1. Go to http://www.nhfcentralohio.org/get-involved/make-a-donation/ and click the “Donate” button.
2. Enter the amount of money you’d like to donate to the Eli Swartz Help Fund and update the total.
3. Choose whether to pay using your Paypal account or with a bank or credit card account.
4. Enter all your credit card and personal information and click “review donation and continue.”
5. Add a “note to seller” explaining that this donation is meant to go toward the Eli Swartz Help Fund.

Shortly after we receive your donation, we will send you a receipt for tax-deduction purposes and to thank you for your donation.

Board and Committee Members:
16) Become an advisory board member (oversees the chapter as a whole).
17) Become a member of the programs and services committee.
18) Become a member of the advocacy committee.
19) Become a member of the fundraising (development) committee.
20) Become a member of the Spring Concert planning committee.
21) Become a member of the Hemophilia Walk planning committee.

Event Volunteers:
22) Volunteer at our Spring Concert.
23) Volunteer at our Hemophilia Walk.
24) Supervise children’s activities at our retreats for children 0-15.
25) Mentor young adults (16-25) at their weekend retreat.
26) Take photos at chapter events.
27) Shoot video at chapter events.
28) Become “Billy the Blood Drop” at one of our chapter events.

Advocates:
29) Share your story with your state senator and representative at Statehouse Day.
30) Share your story with state senators and representatives throughout the year.
31) Share your story with your Congressman and Senator at Washington Days.
32) Help us develop resources for families to act as their own advocates in schools, hospitals, workplaces, etc.
33) Train a force of volunteer advocates who can assist people at a school, hospital, or workplace.
34) Help us design and implement a campaign to educate the medical community about how to care for people with bleeding and clotting disorders.

Fund Raisers:
35) Start a grassroots fund-raiser to benefit our chapter.
36) Create a Hemophilia Walk team, raising awareness and funds for the chapter.
37) Hold a “friend raiser” event to educate your friends, family, and colleagues about the work being done at the Central Ohio Chapter of NHF.
38) Help us identify and cultivate new corporate partners and sponsors.

Office & Administrative Volunteers:
39) Become a volunteer editor of LIFEBLOOD magazine.
40) Capture and edit videos of people sharing their story about how a bleeding or clotting disorder affects their life.
41) Help us develop and execute a marketing and public relations plan.
42) Help us create and implement a planned (estate) giving program.
43) Help us create and implement an annual giving (direct mail) program.
44) Help us prepare mass mailings.
45) Lead our volunteer management program (recruiting, training, and retaining volunteers).
46) Write thank you letters to our high-level donors.

Peer Supporters:
47) Deliver welcome baskets to new members of the chapter and/or the bleeding disorders community.
48) Start and lead a support group.
49) Mentor parents of children who have just been diagnosed with a bleeding or clotting disorder.
50) Provide peer support to people with the same rare bleeding or clotting disorder as you.

For more information on any of the above opportunities or to indicate an interest in one of them, please contact Rob Alexander, Executive Director, at (614) 429-2120 or ralexander@hemophilia.org.

Business First Article about NHF