Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we initially met April via a virtual call, and her story connected with us. She was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called antiphospholipid syndrome, or APS after two miscarriages, a blood clot in her leg, and stroke. APS, also known as “sticky blood” is an autoimmune disorder where your immune system mistakenly attacks normal proteins in the blood. It can cause blood clots, miscarriages or stillbirths, chronic headaches, dementia, seizures and more.
Stago sought to share April’s story with the world to give a name to what others may be going through, and to educate patients to ask for the testing required to diagnose this disorder. In many cases, doctors won’t think to test for APS until at least three miscarriages. Stago seeks to change this by educating the public through April’s story and providing clinicians with the appropriate equipment for this testing.
Fortunately, the weather was beautiful and crisp in October 2020 and we were able to film April, her husband and daughter Aviana in and around their home in Morris County, New Jersey, our own backyard. We were honored to be a part of sharing April’s story and Stago’s mission with the world through this patient video.
