Despite living with bumps, bruises and shots three times a week, 2-year-old Cameron Voyles is as active as any other toddler, his mother said.

Cameron has severe Von Willebrand disease, a bleeding disorder caused by a defect or deficiency of a blood clotting protein, called von Willebrand Factor. According to the National Hemophilia Foundation, the disease is estimated to occur in 1 to 2 percent of the population. Cameron also has mild to moderate factor-VIII deficiency, said his mother, Muskogee High School science teacher, Kristin Voyles.

Because Voyles went through Cameron’s diagnosis, many hospital visits and hospital stays while teaching at MHS, her students are very attached to Cameron.

“He’s a really cute kid,” said Chelsie Taylor, 17. “And she’s our teacher, and we love her.”

All the students sitting around the classroom with Taylor echoed the sentiment — and all are working to raise money for hemophilia research and medications in Cameron’s name.

“My older students went through the testing with me, they’ve kind of learned with me about this,” Voyles said. “My younger students are learning about hemophilia now.”

MHS students are planning a penny drive the first two weeks of March, and they are selling bracelets and T-shirts to raise more money.

That money will go to Edmond in April with Voyles’ family and friends who will participate in the annual Hemophiliac Walk for charity.

The organizers of the walk hope to raise $50,000, Voyles said.

The name of her team is “The Cam Factor” — because Cam is what everyone calls the toddler, and Factor is the medication he takes, Voyles said.

Voyles is accepting pre-orders for T-shirts, red with glow-in-the-dark lettering that reads, “The Cam Factor, every step makes a difference.”

The bracelets are glow-in-the-dark with the team name and “Hemophiliac Walk 2010,” Voyles said.

They are ready for sale in two weeks, and the T-shirts will be ordered the last week of February.

Voyles’ students aren’t necessarily the ones she teaches in her classroom — they are part of the family advocacy program at MHS.

The advocacy program is a mentoring program where teachers meet regularly with a group of students from their freshman year to their senior year.

The groups meet and sometimes go on trips such as bowling — where Voyles’ students have gotten to know Cameron.

“They take care of him,” Voyles said, laughing. “I don’t have to worry because he always has a baby sitter.”

You can help



WHAT: Buy $2 bracelets and $10 T-shirts to raise money for hemophilia research and medications.

WHEN: Bracelets are ready for sale in two weeks, and pre-orders are being taken for the T-shirts. The shirts will be ordered the last week of February.

INFORMATION: Kristin Voyles, 684-3750, ext. 1876 or kristin-voyles@mpsi20.org.

Hemophilia defined

Hemophilia A is the most common type of hemophilia. It is also known as factor VIII deficiency or classic hemophilia. It is largely an inherited disorder in which one of the proteins needed to form blood clots is missing or reduced.

• Approximately one in 5,000 males born in the United States has hemophilia. All races and economic groups are affected equally.

• When a person with hemophilia is injured, he does not bleed harder or faster than a person without hemophilia, he bleeds longer.

Source: National

Hemophilia Foundation

Reach Wendy Burton at 684-2926 or wburton@muskogeephoenix.com.