Factor Down Under
Factor Down Under
Written by Kate Smethurst
Posted: June 3, 2026. This article was originally shared in our Spring 2026 Newsletter.
Eight years ago, our youngest child, Teddy, was diagnosed with hemophilia when he was three days old. We didn’t know it at the time, but hemophilia ran in my family. We’ve since learned that I have mild hemophilia, as does our daughter, Lila.
When Ted was first diagnosed, everything about our lives felt uncertain and we didn’t know if we would be able to do the things we dreamed of doing. One of those dreams was to bring our family to visit Australia, where my husband is from, and where his family still lives today. The logistics of making a big trip like this felt incredibly overwhelming with three hemophiliacs in the family, but at the same time, we were determined to make it happen someday. We wanted our kids to know they can be adventurous and live fully, without being defined or limited by their bleeding disorder. While there may be extra steps to take, those steps make it possible to explore and try new things.
This past holiday season, we finally took the trip we had been dreaming about—a three- and-a-half-week adventure to Australia. Getting there was no small feat, with nearly 22 hours of travel from Boston to Melbourne, including a short layover in San Francisco.
Once we arrived, our itinerary took us across the country. We traveled from Melbourne to Sydney to experience the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge, then up to Queensland to explore the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree Rainforest, and even visit a crocodile farm. We ended our journey back in Melbourne, where we spent the holidays with Andrew’s family.
As someone who lives with anxiety every day, I knew this trip would feel overwhelming. It wasn’t just the usual logistics of travel—three of the five of us have hemophilia, so we had to plan carefully for regular treatments and be ready for any emergencies along the way. I worried I wouldn’t be able to truly relax or be present.
But to my surprise, I loved every moment. The preparation we put in ahead of time made all the difference. It gave me the confidence to let go, be present, and fully enjoy our time together without having “hemophilia worries” at the forefront of my mind each day.
One of the first things I did as we began planning our trip was make an appointment to sit down with our Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC) to get prepared. We made a plan together that we were all comfortable with. We updated our travel letters for each of us, stating all the details about our hemophilia diagnosis including weight, product, dosage, supplies and contact information for our care team back home. We also made a plan with our pharmacy to make sure we received all of Teddy’s prophy doses and on demand doses that we would need for the nearly month-long trip, as well as emergency meds that Lila and I would bring in case they were needed. On top of all that, we also brought extra doses with us, in case of injury or unexpected travel delays—and because, well, Ted is Ted, and we never know what to expect with him! Our HTC even helped us find HTCs in Australia that we could go to and contact in each place that we visited, should we need their help. I kept all of their contact information in a note on my phone so that I would have it handy.
From the second we left home, we carried a “Go Bag” with us everywhere we went on our trip. It contained emergency meds for each of us as well as supplies for infusions and our travel letters. While emergency doses lived in the “Go Bag,” we also ended up filling an entire carry-on suitcase with all of our regular doses and supplies. Both bags stayed with us as carry ons whenever we flew. We also planned ahead to make sure all of the places we were staying had air conditioning, so that we could safely leave our meds at room temperature despite the Australian summer weather. Most places could accommodate this, and if not, we popped the meds into a cooler with an ice pack and brought them along that way.
The activity level throughout the entire trip was very high. We countered this by trying our best to time Teddy’s infusions to days we would be most active or going on crazy adventures. Making sure he was “factored up” when he was most active really helped to prevent injuries and give us peace of mind if he got a bump or took a tumble. One day, he somehow spent six hours playing beach cricket with a bunch of random kids he met. His legs were sore from all the running he did, but his joints were well protected!
The overwhelming feeling we took away from this trip was one of success and pride. I was so proud of our family for taking the leap, leaning into the uncomfortable and figuring out how to make this possible. Luckily, with all the travel and adventures we had, we didn’t have to deal with any bleeds while we were away. Shockingly, we didn’t even need a single emergency dose of factor. Having a clear plan and feeling prepared for any potential emergency allowed me to truly be present and enjoy our time together with family. This trip also helped us to gain even more confidence in our ability to be independent with this diagnosis and to help teach our kids independence as well.
I know not every trip in the future will run as smoothly as this one did, but with the preparation and confidence gained from this trip, I have no doubt that our family will soon be off on our next adventure, showing our kids some of the wonders this world has to offer and helping them to see that this diagnosis doesn’t define them. Cheers to more adventures in the days ahead!
Kate and her husband, Andrew, live in Nahant, Massachusetts with their three kids, Charlie, Lila and Ted. Ted has severe hemophilia and Lila and Kate both have mild hemophilia.
Photo: Kate and three her kids alongside koalas in Australia.