Meet The Team: Susan Moore
Winter 2010
A member of the Matrix Health team since October of 2003, Susan is no stranger to the needs of those within our community and prides herself on forging lasting relationships with those she meets. Hemophilia has been a cornerstone for Susan throughout her life. As a child, she became a "private duty nurse" providing comfort, support, and doing what she could for her older brother who lived during a time when aspirin, heating pads, heat lamps and hot water bottles were the norm for treating those with hemophilia. Her admiration for her brother's strength, courage, and unselfish resolve made a lasting and deeply rooted impact on Susan's life. After the birth of her now adult son, Josh, and his diagnosis with severe hemophilia A, Susan resolved to become an active and involved advocate. With determination, she learned all she could to provide her son with the best life possible. As a single parent, she made time to attend such events as FamOhio, HFA and NHF meetings, in addition to any local or regional chapter gatherings. Meeting others in the community not only provided the chance to receive up-to-date bleeding disorder information, but also allowed Susan the opportunity to meet many people whose stories enriched, encouraged, and inspired her.
It is then not surprising that Susan soon held a position as Board Secretary of her local chapter in Northern Ohio, where she served for six years. In addition, Susan served for two years on the Hemophilia Advisory Board for the Ohio Department of Health. Susan tells us, "It is the hemophilia population that gives me inspiration. The resilience, strength, and unselfish nature of the people and families affected – especially those who face the additional illnesses of HIV and hepatitis is astounding to me. We are truly a family. Great people like Ira Gaffin, Bill Dennis, Jan Hamilton, Joe Holibaugh, Laurie Kelley, and countless others out there have so enriched our lives that I feel blessed to be among our community. I am honored to be friends with some of the neatest people, and just because I am a member of this wonderful community… hemophilia has made me a more caring person."
In her position as Regional Care Coordinator, Susan is dedicated to providing "anything and everything," to meet the needs of her clients. Be it making phone calls, working with insurance companies, writing letters to our lawmakers or making herself available for clients to simply talk (even at late hours of the night), Susan enjoys nothing more than being able to provide those within our community with every resource available to them. Covering several states including Michigan, Northern Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, it is common for Susan to travel for hours to meet with those she may be able to help, "Since I enjoy traveling, no state is too far," she asserts. "When I make lasting friendships with people, and they call me just to tell me they love me, or they light up when we meet unexpectedly, I know I am doing the right thing." Susan cherishes the many friends she has inside and out of the hemophilia community, including her best friend, Joni, who has remained a steadfast friend since the tender age of three. When asked why she feels so dedicated in her position with Matrix Health, Susan had a ready answer: "My career with Matrix Health affords me in so many ways, the opportunity to give back. This is a very rewarding position for me. The old adage 'Love what you do and you will never work a day in your life' has certainly held true for me." In addition to the supportive position she holds with Matrix Health, Susan is a contributing editor for Matrix Health News, a quarterly publication focused on educating and empowering the lives of people with bleeding disorders. Susan finds this opportunity to reach out to those in our community a rewarding experience as well. She is always looking for something new to write about, so if you have a story to share, please give her a call or send an email. She can be reached at smoore@matrixhealthgroup.com.
Though Susan dedicates the majority of her time to her position with Matrix Health, she does find time to be an avid gardener, reader, and crossword puzzle fan. Her son Josh, her daughter Jennifer, and grandchildren, Korry and Hannah, are at the center of her life. Her sister, Judi, also plays an integral role in the family dynamics. Susan offers these dos and don'ts to the parents of newly diagnosed children: "Do take a deep breath and do love your child unconditionally. Don't make your child's life only about their bleeding disorder. Don't feel guilty; it is not your 'fault.' Life happens. Do get involved with your local chapter, the HFA and NHF. More important than any other advice is this: do not treat your affected child any differently than the siblings who are unaffected. When Josh was first diagnosed, I really went off the deep end for a while. I got rid of my end tables and coffee table, and covered the baseboards with foam padding. I bought a queen-size sofa sleeper, put the mattress on the floor (the sofa went to the curb) and made him stay on the mattress during playtime – what a lunatic I was! Talk about overreacting! In time I regained control, and in spite of his crazy beginning, Josh grew up with a healthy self image and is a very likable, intelligent, and enjoyable man."