WALLIS FAMILY
This Spotlight appeared in our April 2025 newsletter.
Introducing the Wallises, family of four! Dee, will you tell us a little about each of you and how you got connected to the Foundation?
DW: Michael and I are high school sweethearts who’ve been married for 26 years. Our son Caden is a junior in college at the University of Texas at Austin (Go Horns!), majoring in Economics. Camdyn, 15, is our one-in-a-million daughter with severe VWD, type 3. Camdyn is a bright, talented, funny girl who loves to dance. She dances at a studio, focusing on ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop. A freshman in high school, Camdyn recently made her Varsity Dance Team! Camdyn was diagnosed as a baby and soon after we found our local Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC). It was through the HTC that we learned about the Foundation.
Where do you live? What do you like or dislike about it? Are there any hidden gems in your area that you would take a visitor to?
DW: We live in San Antonio, Texas. We love our beautiful city that is rich in culture, friendliness and the best Mexican food on the planet! The drawback to living in South Texas is the heat – in the summer we have consecutive days of 100+ degrees without rain. San Antonio summers can be brutal … I would love to welcome a visitor to San Antonio in April! Our weather is glorious and the whole city celebrates a two-week celebration known as Fiesta. We would spend the day browsing an art fair and feasting on the wide array of Fiesta foods while listening to live music. At night, we would attend the Fiesta Flambeau parade known for its vibrant colors, marching bands and illuminated floats. Next day we would drive a quick hour north to Fredericksburg, known for its beautiful wineries, lavender fields, boutique shopping and German cuisine.
What brought your family joy in 2024? What do you envision/hope for 2025?
DW: 2024 was a great year for our family! Michael and I both had promotions at work, Caden had a successful sophomore year at college and enjoyed a great Longhorn football season, and Camdyn excelled even more in her dance classes and involvement in the bleeding disorder community. Most notably, she was named as the teen rep board member on our local chapter of NBDF, was named Volunteer of the Year for the Lone Start Chapter of the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation (NBDF), and was finally approved to start a new treatment regimen. Our hope for 2025 is that Camdyn continues to experience good health that allows her to do what she enjoys most… dance. We are also hoping for a relaxing family vacation this summer. It is rare these days to have all four of us in once place for any amount of time. Hoping we can steal a week away from our busy lives to enjoy some family beach time!
Convenient that the family is headed to Florida this summer (the Wallis family are longtime Conference attendees). This year, Dee will represent the family on our Patient Conference Welcoming Committee.
Dee, do you have some specific tips or advice about the conference to share with first-time conference attendees?
DW: Soak it all in and take copious notes. You are going to receive so much valuable information, meet so many people that are going to offer great advice and comfort, and experience all the emotions. I truly encourage a first-time attendee to attend every session possible, connect with as many people as you can and speak up if you have questions. At our first conference, Camdyn was really struggling with mouth bleeds from losing her baby teeth. I thought I had tried everything! In one of the sessions, I was so nervous to ask about it, but I finally asked. A fellow mom told me to try holding a tea bag on her bleeding gum and see if that slowed down the bleeding. It worked like a charm! I would have never known that trick otherwise. Ask your questions... the conference is the most informative, comfortable, supportive environment full of the kindest and most helpful people that understand severe VWD.
What would you say is the most valuable thing you’ve gotten from joining the Foundation all those years ago?
DW: It is truly hard to name just one thing. I will start by saying the Foundation gave us hope. There was a period from when Camdyn was diagnosed to us connecting with the Foundation that was very lonely and scary. We did not know anyone else dealing with VWD, our HTC was primarily focused on Hemophilia and everything I read online was doom and gloom. That first conference we attended gave us hope. We felt supported. It was the first time we met someone else with severe VWD (sVWD) or type 3. As Camdyn’s mom, that first conference gave me hope that Camdyn could lead a pretty normal life. We met teens who were active in their sports, we met women who had healthy pregnancies, and we met so many others who were living full, vibrant lives with severe VWD. It was very encouraging and helped us to crawl out of that hole her diagnosis thrust us into.
How many Foundation conferences have you been to now, and what keeps you coming back?
DW: I think we have been part of six conferences (including remote for Covid)? The great thing about us finding the Foundation when Camdyn was young is that we have benefited from the conference information at different stages of her life. As we all know, bleeding concerns look different depending on the age group. As her bleeding issues change as she ages, the conference information is always relevant. Additionally, because the conference helps us to understand concerns from other age groups, it has really helped us to get ahead of anticipated bleeding issues.
Do any of you have a favorite Conference memory, individually or as a family?
DW: I think we have a variety of favorite memories. Michael says his favorite memories include information he learned from the panels with doctors, and learning about trial studies on new developments. Camdyn’s favorite memories include meeting her friend Madi at the second conference we attended and dancing with her during the DJ Party after dinner. My favorite memory is filming the video for the Foundation. (Editors Note: Check out the video, Telling Our Story, HERE!)
Camdyn, it has been a privilege to watch you grow up from your first conference to now! At your first conference you were 7 years old, looking back at 15, how has the experience changed over the years?
CW: When I was little, the conferences felt like summer camp. I went to the kid’s club, and I got to do some cool crafts, watch a magician do tricks and play with other kids who also had severe VWD. Now, I attend most of the sessions with mom and dad. I learn lots of information but it’s more like school than camp which is what it should look like since I am older now.
Can you tell us a little about yourself now? What makes you smile these days?
CW: I am a ninth grader at Johnson High School. I have VWD, type 3. I love to dance. I dance at my studio three days a week. At the studio, I take ballet, jazz, hip hop and acro. I was also asked this year to be the student assistant for a young group of dancers at my studio. I love to help them learn tap and jazz. I am currently on the pep squad at school and get to take a dance class at school. I just made the varsity team – it is the first time in our school history that freshmen were allowed to try out for varsity, so I am really excited! My mom and I are part of National Charity League (NCL). We do philanthropy for organizations such as Ronald McDonald House, food banks and clothes Closets. I am currently on the Board for NCL, and I am also the teen rep board member for the NBDF- Lone Star Chapter. My mom and I were able to go to Washington D.C. and advocate on Capitol Hill for the Bleeding Disorders Community. It feels good to advocate for our community. Dancing, my pets, my friends and family and watching Grey’s Anatomy make me smile.
Even though a lot has changed, one thing is for sure: we know that Camdyn will at some point be on the dance floor! How does dance fit in your life today?
CW: With my school team, we do competitions. I love to compete so that part has been really fun this year. We did really well at our two competitions, and I can’t wait for next year. Since I made Varsity, I will be on the Nationals Team and we will be competing at Disney World in February. I am really lucky I found something that I can do with my severe VWD and that I love.
Please tell us about your experience managing sVWD while pursuing dance? Do you have any words of advice?
CW: I would just say to try different, safe activities that you can do with sVWD. I tried different things until I found the one that I love. Sometimes it is harder for me than my friends because I have sVWD. I might have to ice my ankles after practice and I usually have lots of bruises. I had to miss a big practice this year because I had a clinic appointment but everyone understands. I am on prophy now and that is helping a lot. I might have to do more preventative things because of my VWD but it doesn’t stop me from performing any of the dance moves or keep me from doing what I love.