The National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF), along with the bleeding disorders community, created the Red Tie Challenge to mark the first ever National Bleeding Disorders Awareness month in March 2016. To raise awareness of bleeding disorders and show support for the community, NHF asked the community to share pictures and videos on social media of their best Red Tie look.

Throughout the month of March, we put NHF’s question -"How do you wear a Red Tie?” - to our employees and friends and shared their stories and connections to the bleeding disorders community. Here are a few.

SANDRA

Dr. Sandra Horning, chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development at Roche: “As a practicing hematologist, I witnessed the courage of people with blood disorders every day. I'm participating in the ‪‎Red Tie Challenge‬ to acknowledge their bravery. Now, I’m proud to be part of the team at Genentech working to help improve the way ‪‎hemophilia‬ is managed.”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

STEPHANIE

Stephanie, Genentech employee: ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬"The thing people may not realize is that bleeding disorders can vary in severity. I have a mild form of von ‬‬Willebrand disease (vWD). It's important for my doctors to be aware, as I need to receive treatment before surgical procedures - including when I gave birth to my daughter. But it's otherwise not something that generally affects my daily life. I’m happy to do my part in raising awareness of vWD, hemophilia and other bleeding disorders."

MICHELLE

Michelle Rice, senior staff member at the National Hemophilia Foundation, and the mother of two sons living with severe hemophilia, stopped by Genentech to share her story with employees: “Hemophilia is a condition that impacts the whole family. It's brought us together in many ways. When my first son was born with hemophilia, I learned early on I had to advocate on his behalf. I initially became involved in our local chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation. I want my kids to do any job they’re interested in, live wherever they want and not be limited by the disorder.”

ANDREW

Andrew, Genentech employee: "It’s inspiring to see the research we're doing to support people living with hemophilia. I’m proud to know that every day, I’m contributing to a company working to make a difference for people with this serious bleeding disorder. "

Check out more Red Tie Challenge photos from the hemophilia community on Instagram: #RedTieChallenge