Global Blood Disorder Foundation Inc. COVID 19 Announcement!

We hope you are all staying safe, maintaining health, and engaging in the instructions and guidelines to get us all back to a normal we can recognize.  Our thoughts and positive energies are with you all.

During this time of social distancing and for many people isolation, we have placed our Leadership Advocacy Programs (Step Up Reach Out (SURO), Step Up Reach Out Latin America (SURO LatAm), and A Fellowship For Mentoring Responsible Mentors (AFFIRM) on pause.  We are maintaining our connection through different media platforms and strongly encourage our current attendees and past program graduates to stay connected with us and each other.  We are setting up some virtual platforms to continue some of the work our current program attendees are engaged in to stay on track.

We have moved our programs to later this year (2020) into dates we have already had secured in our program calendar.  This updated information will be reflected in our website program information.  We will update this website as we get more information available to us.

We are monitoring and paying close attention to how things are progressing with COVID 19 globally.  When it becomes safe to host our programs without the risk of infection to our staff and attendees we will move forward.  It is GBDF’s position to make the decision to move forward with our programming in conjunction with other similar foundations and organization’s activities and with the direction and advice from our global healthcare officials.  World Federation of Hemophilia  (WFH) – https://www.wfh.org/en/home for updated, accurate information for our bleeding disorder community and the World Health Organization (WHO) – https://www.who.int/ for global information regarding COVID 19.  We will also monitor national bleeding disorder foundations and organizations and ask you to do the same locally with those organizations you trust.

Just a reminder…. There is a lot of information out on social media platforms on COVID 19.  Please be aware of what you are reading/seeing and that they are accurate sources of information.  There are sources of information specific to our community that can be trusted and factual.  We have seen several platforms that are promoting fear and panic.  Specific to treatment, please reach out to your medical health teams, and sources like WFH.

You Are Not Alone

During this time is staying safe, not having physical contact, or being able to be up close and personal, it can cause sadness, fear, anxiety, depression, and hopelessness.  It is extremely important to reach out through the many social media platforms to connect, share your thoughts and feelings, and tap into your creativity and resilience.

As leaders in our community, others will look to you to lift them up, take the lead, and be the beacon of light.  While you are doing this, it is essential to also keep yourself lifted and to gather energy from others.

If there is something you need from GBDF as a foundation or from any of our staff and faculty, please reach out and let us know!!  As you are hearing everywhere “we can be alone together”!

It may look different when we come through this pandemic.  As leaders in the community, we can lead the way!

Our best to you, our thoughts and prayers to you, and our belief we will move past this!

GBDF President and Global Programs Manager – Ed Kuebler

Your GBDF Board of Directors and Program Faculty.