Derek Markley

The Bubba Factor Derek Markley

"The circumcision won't stop bleeding." Those are horrible words to hear shortly after the nurses have left with your newborn son. We had no idea that Bubba would enter the world in perfect health, minus the fact his blood doesn't clot. I've cussed, cried, narrowly avoided a reckless driving arrest, became a Democrat, and used our daughter as a human pincushion during this journey. We are the family with the kid who has that rare health condition. On multiple occasions learning to be a hemophilia father has taken me from elation to despair, with the occasional fit of rage. We define normal differently than the average family, but it is the only normal we know. The Bubba Factor is a story about how our son's severe hemophilia has changed our lives over the past seven years.