Eliza VanZweden has Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia and is 26 years old. She works as a research scientist in animal health. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting and hiking with her dog, Rocky. Although she was diagnosed with GT shortly after birth, she only began getting involved in the bleeding disorders community over the past five years, which has led to many amazing experiences with her local chapter and beyond.

Attending her first World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) program really opened her eyes to the struggles people with bleeding disorders face around the world. Left untreated, many experience extreme disability and constant suffering, while access to prophylactic therapies in the United States allows many patients to live an almost normal life without having to think about their hemophilia. Seeing this disparity made her want to get involved and do everything in her power to help people around the world.

Eliza hopes to build awareness around Save One Life’s multiple programs that support the global bleeding disorders community, and to encourage her community to sponsor or donate. In meeting the other ambassadors, she can already tell they are an amazing group of advocates and hopes to form friendships with them as well.