Frequently Asked Questions
What is hemophilia?
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Hemophilia is an inherited blood disorder in which the blood does not clot properly. People with hemophilia usually cannot stop bleeding on their own. Bleeding can continue for a long time - so long that it may cause damage to their body, or be dangerous to their health. In developed countries like the United States, there is medicine that can stop bleeding fast. Today, many young children with hemophilia are growing up with little danger to their health from bleeding. But in developing countries, there is little or no access to this medicine. Children suffer painful joint bleeds, brain damage from cranial bleeds, disfigurement and even death.Hemophilia can be found in every country in the world. Although it can affect people of any race, religion, or nationality, hemophilia is extremely rare. It occurs in about one in 5,000 male births. It mostly affects males.
Adapted from Tell Them the Facts! By Laureen A. Kelley, 1995
What if I have any questions?
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Please feel free to contact Save One Life at any time with ideas, questions, or concerns you may have regarding your sponsorship, your beneficiary, or Save One Life.
What if my beneficiary needs medicine?
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Please do not send factor. There are other organizations that specialize in providing factor, like Project SHARE. If you receive a request for medical assistance, contact the Save One Life executive director, who will notify the appropriate organization. Please note that there are times when beneficiaries, due to the nature of their bleeding disorder, are hospitalized. In rare cases, some may incur disabilities, or even die.
What else can I send?
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You can safely send many useful items in a small, flat envelope: stickers, photos, picture postcards, pens, markers, greeting cards, and combs. Subscriptions to children’s magazines make great gifts since siblings, neighbors, and classmates can enjoy them, too!
Please do not send money directly. This can create negative feelings between sponsored and non-sponsored families belonging to the same local hemophilia/bleeding disorders organization. Occasionally sponsors ask or are asked to contribute extra funds for college tuition or a medical procedure; in this case we ask that you work through Save One Life rather than directly with the family.
Do not send boxes with gifts or supplies, as this creates customs problems and your beneficiary or their hemophilia organization might incur large expenses.
How will my letters be delivered?
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Since many families do not live on postal routes, they may receive your letters only when they visit the local organization or clinic. It could take two to three months for your beneficiary to receive your letter.
Always use the mailing address provided by Save One Life.
When your beneficiary writes you a letter, you will receive the original and an English translation. If your beneficiary does not have your address, mail will reach you through Save One Life.
What should I write about?
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Your beneficiary may like to know about you, your family, and your country. Include family members’ names, ages, and whether family members are male or female. Describe the place you live and perhaps include a map. You can write about your climate, job, hobbies, pets, community, and interests.
Ask your beneficiary about his or her life, day-to-day activities, interests, hobbies, and family.
Most beneficiaries live in poverty, without electricity, television, cars, plumbing, or decent clothing. Please take care not to include photos of or references to the material possessions you own. We want to stress what we have in common—family, school, and hobbies—not what makes us different.
How will my sponsorship be used?
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Your sponsorship donation will be given to our protram partner—the local bleeding disorders nonprofit organization in your beneficiary’s country. Our partner organization will give at least 85% of your donation directly to your beneficiary to pay for transportation to the hospital or clinic, medical supplies, educational expenses, groceries, or basic needs. The remaining funds will be used by our program partner for administrative expenses. Save One Life closely monitors the use of all funds and regularly reports on the activities of all program partners. Each program partner monitors the way the money is used by the beneficiaries, and offers educational and medical support and financial counseling.
All operational costs of Save One Life are funded from separate donors and not sponsorship donations. As Save One Life is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit, your donations are tax deductible.
How does sponsorship work?
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Sponsorshop process works when you select beneficiaries, sponsor them with USD 20 per month.
Contact us at for further info.
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