Tiffany Maness wanted her first marathon to mean something extra. When she saw that the National Hemophilia Foundation had spots for this year’s TCS New York City Marathon, she didn’t hesitate to sign up. Learn why Tiffany is excited to run her first marathon on behalf of the inheritable blood disorders community.
What is your connection to the community?
My father, Dale Branham, had severe Hemophilia A and was disabled most of his life due to continuous spontaneous bleeding in his joints. Even in treating with intravenous medication 4 to 5 days a week, he still had a lot of bleeds. Bleeding into your joints over and over again causes a lifetime of problems, such as arthritis. My father was also one of the unfortunate many within the bleeding disorders community that acquired HIV in the 1980s from one of his whole blood product medicines, and he passed away from AIDs in 1994.
Fast forward to today... I have a beautiful 4-year-old son who also has severe Hemophilia A. With the advances in medical treatment for hemophilia A patients, we now can utilize an almost 100% preventative approach with bi-weekly subcutaneous injections for our son. He has had no spontaneous bleeding to date, and he is able to lead a pretty normal life - and this is possible because of organizations like the NHF providing generous amounts of support and funding to continue this progressive journey for the bleeding disorders community.
The ultimate goal is a cure, which we are well on our way to achieving! But for now, I will take my son's happy and healthy life as a huge step forward. He and my father are the reasons I run... and what an exciting opportunity to be able to honor them in a way I never thought possible - the 2021 TCS NYC Marathon!!
Why are you running for NHF?
I am running for team NHF because I have longed to memorialize my father who passed away from AIDs contracted from his treatment for Hemophilia in a meaningful way. I became what I'd call a pseudo-avid runner during the COVID pandemic last year and figured running for the NHF would be a perfect opportunity to honor my father's life, as well as honor and set an example for my son.
What are you most looking forward to through your participation in the program?
I'm looking forward to seeing exactly what I'm capable of and feeling a sense that my father is with me along the way in spirit.
NHF is proud to be a charity partner of this year’s marathon and excited to have 15 runners from the across country join Team NHF to run the TCS New York City Marathon – one of the iconic running events in the world.
This event is also an amazing opportunity to increase awareness of inheritable blood disorders, as well as raise much-needed funds to support NHF’s mission. When you commit to NHF’s team, you not only get an automatic coveted spot in the marathon, you will also get to be an advocate and champion for families living with an inheritable blood disorder. Your participation will mean so much to our community.
We only have a few spots left. Join Tiffany and other runners and apply today!
