His parents met with Carol Kasper, M.D., for genetic counseling when MacLellan was still in the womb.

“My mom’s brother had hemophilia and they wanted to see if she was a carrier,” he says.

His maternal uncle, a first cousin and a distant cousin all had hemophilia, so it wasn’t a surprise to his family when, at four months old, MacLellan was diagnosed with the blood disorder.

MacLellan, a 42-year-old married father of four, recalls countless visits to the Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC) as a child. His condition was complicated because he had developed antibodies that inactivate the lifesaving clotting-factor concentrate.

While MacLellan leads a healthy, active life today, his early bleeding did take a toll on his joints. He had a partial hip replacement in 1997 and a knee replacement the following year.

“Thanks to Dr. James Luck, I’m doing well,” MacLellan says. “I don’t have any problems with my hip. The knee replacement has done wonders for me, too. I have some bleeding problems in my right elbow now and then, but I pretty much have full range of motion.”

Today, MacLellan’s bleeding is generally under control, and he is thankful for all of the staff at HTC who have helped him over the years.

“I still bleed occasionally, but nothing like when I was younger,” he says. “Now hemophilia is something that I live with and have learned to control.”