Founded in Northern California, our mission is to help families with rare bleeding disorders who are in need. The way we plan to make this happen is through music! While combining our passion for music and the bleeding disorder community we are making the dream of helping others while having fun a reality! Thus was born “Music For The Cause."
- Elizabeth Schauermann
Founder
My father has hemophilia, a very rare bleeding disorder, and I was born a carrier. Together we share a major passion for music and everything in the performing arts. Music has gotten my Dad through the "hematoma blues" and into a place of creation and positivity. And for me, music has brought me hope.
The dream of Music for the Cause started back in 2007. Developing a way to raise awareness of my dad's bleeding disorder is something I'm passionate about. When my first nephew was born with severe hemophilia, my dad and I started to work together, and the idea of Music for the Cause started to take shape. It wasn't until Lawson's brother Prescott was also born with severe hemophilia were we able to finally take this dream and turn it into what it is today. Music for the Cause is truly a labor of love. A way that we, as community members ourselves, can make a difference on a national level and beyond. We strive to serve and highlight our blood brothers and blood sisters, so that one day everyone in the world will have heard about the bleeding disorders community!
My name is Lawson, Prescott's older brother. I have severe hemophilia and I get a poke every other day so that I can do things like you do. Fortunately for me, my body responds well to the medicine and allows my blood to clot so I won't get hurt. People ask about my scar and I tell them I have special blood. Hemophilia doesn't hold me back or define me.
My name is Prescott and I'm three years old. I have already had two surgeries and used to get poked every day through my port or in my arm. I have developed antibodies against the very medicine that is supposed to help my blood clot, so my home care needs were more complicated than most. Because of this I had to get my medicine through my port every day, and if I get an injury I had to be injected with medicine 6 times a day just so my blood would clot. Even with my complications, I'm lucky to be born in this day and age. I used to wish they would come up with something to help me clot my blood so I didn't have to get so many pokes. They finally have, and now I get one shot a week and use factor when I develop a bleed, which happens so much less these days! Kindergarten here I come!
Here is a small glimpse into our family's life, living with hemophilia.
First Infusions at UC Davis
These photos were taken at UC Davis during Lawson's first infusions of factor. Factor is a life-saving medicine that helps clot Lawson's blood. He's missing a protein in his blood which means it can't clot on his own. Lawson is one of the bravest boys I know!
A Typical Morning
Bleeding disorders are a group of conditions that result when the blood cannot clot properly. In normal clotting, platelets, a type of blood cell, stick together and form a plug at the site of an injured blood vessel. Proteins in the blood called clotting factors then interact to form a fibrin clot, essentially a gel plug, which holds the platelets in place and allows healing to occur at the site of the injury while preventing blood from escaping the blood vessel. While too much clotting can lead to conditions such as heart attacks and strokes, the inability to form clots can be very dangerous as well, as it can result in excessive bleeding. Bleeding can result from either too few or abnormal platelets, abnormal or low amounts of clotting proteins, or abnormal blood vessels.
Hemophilia is perhaps the most well-known inherited bleeding disorder, although it is relatively rare. Many more people are affected by Von Willebrand Disease the most common inherited bleeding disorder in America caused by clotting proteins. Von Willebrand disease can affect both males and females. Platelet disorders are the most common cause of bleeding disorder and are usually acquired rather than inherited.
We raise awareness and funds for children with bleeding disorders through music inspired events.
We support local musicians, our community, and inspire hope in the process, while serving those in need...
one family at a time.