All about the youth session at conference
Mon 26 Oct 2015
The youth session at the 17th Australian & New Zealand Conference on Haemophilia and Related Bleeding Disorders discussed being on the move, disclosure and safe risks. Tim and Jade represented youth across Australia on the panel alongside a nurse, physio, and psychologist.
Jade and Tim share their experience from the conference
Jade
This session had a purpose to create conversation, talk about those topics that are often not discussed or ignored. I am a firm believer in the importance of maintaining your mental health and wellbeing as a means of accepting who you are and loving your life for what it is.
I am very grateful to have the opportunity to speak on the panel and represent a female youth perspective. I loved the power of sharing stories and inviting casual conversation around issues such as sexual health, risk, and disclosure.
What I really enjoyed about the session was that not only did we have these conversations with the youth present at the conference but the session also attracted an older audience of parents and guardians that were keen to understand the difference in perspective. Other sessions I really enjoyed was mindfulness. This covered how to actually be mindful in your day to day life and gain the benefits of enjoying simple moments.
Next time I hope to create even more of a discussion and help facilitate all youth and other participants to voice concerns, ask questions, and share stories.
Tim
Youth session at conference
I was asked to provide the perspective of a young male with haemophilia in the youth session but the great thing was that I was just one of many young people with a bleeding disorder in the room. I explained my experiences regarding travelling, transitioning treatment centres and moving into adult life but what I enjoyed most was what followed.
The audience at this session was a combination of young men and women with bleeding disorders, parents of children with bleeding disorders, and health care professionals. Very quickly after the panellists presented their experiences the audience began sharing their own perspectives and this turned into a general discussion about some very important topics such as working with a bleeding disorder, discrimination, and explaining your condition. It was brilliant to see the differences between everyone’s experiences and how everybody had a slightly different way of tackling these topics. I remember sitting back at one point and watching everybody contribute, thinking that the difference in experiences just emphasises perfectly that there is no right or wrong way of doing things. You just need to find what works for you in your specific circumstances.
Conference sessions
The youth session was just one of the many presentations throughout the conference. All of the topics were very diverse and addressed some key issues ranging from the future of bleeding disorders care to working with governments to secure funding. There was a particular focus on mental health which I believe to be a crucial issue in the bleeding disorders community and research highlighting the current challenges men and women currently face across the country.
One of my favourite sessions for the conference was a presentation addressing how to create a safe and well-structured gym/exercise program with a bleeding disorder and the benefits that can provide.
Highlights
My absolute highlight of the conference was talking to people from all over the country who in one way or another are affected by a bleeding disorders and truly appreciating the sense of community we all share.
I learnt so much from the youth session and the entire conference that I encourage all young men and women with bleeding disorders to attend next time if possible.
I went into the youth session to share my knowledge and experiences and ended up learning more from the audience than they probably learnt from me!
I hope to see you all there next time!