I Gave My Son Hemophilia

I gave my son hemophilia. This is a bold and hurtful statement for me to make but it is based on the facts. When Tommy was first diagnosed, I made all kinds of uneducated reasons as to why he was born with a bleeding disorder. Although I did cut caffeine and energy drinks out of my daily routine when I became pregnant with him, I did drink one bottle of Coke per day. In my mind, this surely had to be a contributing factor as to why he had a bleeding disorder. I did drink the occasional glass of wine (which was OK per my doctor) and this surely had to be a contributing factor as to why he had a bleeding disorder. I slept on my side and I must have been suffocating him and this surely had to be a contributing factor as to why he had a bleeding disorder. These assumptions are humorous to me almost three years later, but I was not far off with the theory that I did give him this disorder.

I can tell you two possible scenarios as to why my son was born with a bleeding disorder. The first scenario is that it was a spontaneous mutation. There is no known history of hemophilia in the family, so it basically just happened with no known reason. The second, and most difficult scenario for me to accept, is that I gave it to him. Although my theories of drinking wine or Coke during pregnancy were far-fetched, it could have been reflective of a premonition that it was my “fault.” Being a female, the chances of me having hemophilia are extremely rare and uncommon. That is because hemophilia is an X chromosome disorder. Females have two X chromosomes (Xx) and it would be almost unheard of for a female to carry two defective copies of it. However, it is possible for a female to indeed carry a single defective X chromosome, while the other X chromosome remains normal, and this would qualify her as being a carrier of Hemophilia. Although a woman can be a carrier, it is generally assumed that her normal X chromosome picks up where her abnormal X chromosome is failing, and she will not suffer any bleeding issues. However, in the conception of a child, it is the mother who passes the X chromosome onto a son while the father passes his Y chromosome. Therefore, there is no chance that Hemophilia could be passed from father to son. Does that make sense to you? Yes, I still get confused with it as well.

Let me put it this way. Once again, a female is composed of two X chromosomes (female = Xx) while a man is composed of one X chromosome and one Y chromosome (male = xY).  Based on that, a woman will ALWAYS pass one of her X chromosomes onto her child (because that’s all she has) while a man will either pass an X or a Y. When a man passes his X chromosome, that combined with a woman’s X chromosome, it will produce a girl. Women are made up of two X’s remember? If a man passes his Y chromosome, combined with a woman’s X chromosome, it will produce a boy. So you see, my husband passed his Y chromosome to be combined with my X chromosome in order for us to have produced a boy. Hemophilia A is a blood disorder connected with an abnormal X chromosome. That chromosome was passed by ME. Now, as I am writing this, I have yet to have tests done on myself to determine if I am a carrier. However, the way I see it is that regardless if I am a carrier or not, I gave him that abnormal X. Either way, I am justified in blaming myself. Of course, anyone reading this can tell me a hundred different reasons why this is not my fault, but as a mother, I will always carry this weight.

I am not the type of person who looks for sympathy. On the contrary, sympathy from others makes me feel like my situation is a sorry one. My situation was an unexpected one and did derive a ton of sympathy from others in the beginning. However, I have embraced this life and I carry a heart full of pride for my son. In a few short years, Tommy has taught me what strength is. Tommy has taught me what drive is. Tommy has taught me to play with the cards I was dealt and how to come out with a Royal Flush. Tommy Cameron is my hero.