Note from Dan Pavelich about VW Disease:

Von Willebrands Disease is a bleeding disorder similar to hemophilia. In people who have VWD, their Von Willebrand Factor is substantially lower than normal, which breaks the chain of events that needs to occur for successful clotting. Unfortunately, for kids like my daughter, this means that they have to carry a cooler with clotting medication (Stimate) with them wherever they go. They are also unable to participate in contact sports like soccer, football and hockey. For my daughter, the worst part of it all is that she's extremely aware of the fact that she's different from other kids and can't do everything they do.

For more info on VWD and other bleeding disorders, go to www.bcw.edu.