Joe was born in Alliance, Ohio, on December 28,
1971. He lived most of his life in Akron, Ohio, residing in
Florida for the past five years. Joe faced the same difficulties
of living with severe hemophilia as his beloved brother Eric,
who passed in 1997. He faced his challenges as opportunities
to grow, and embraced life fully with his entire being. In life,
he brought many together with his unique style of wit and humor,
as well as his direct approach. Joe will undoubtedly live on
in the hearts of his many friends and family who love him dearly,
and will remember him for his strength and love. He will be
remembered by his 11-year-old son, Jacob, as a gentle and caring
father. At his time of passing he was surrounded by those he
loved. He will be missed by many. Joe left behind in love his
loving wife, Christy Del Rossi Holibaugh of Coral Springs, Florida;
his son, Jacob of Louisville, Ohio; mother, Donna Ezzo Holibaugh
of Florida; father, Dan Holibaugh;
grandmother, Marian Holibaugh, both of Alliance, Ohio; and many
other relatives and friends.
As we begin to understand and cope with the
sudden loss of such a great person, we will be planning a respectful
memorial to Joe on our Matrix website. As an original Regional
Care Coordinator and Manager at Matrix Health, Joe was a leader;
a staple; essential in the creation of Matrix Health Group.
We only hope that we will be able to carry on his torch. We
would love to hear from you if you have a special note, a photograph
or a fond memory of Joe. We will post your messages and photos
on our website.
“I Have A Dream ...”
These are the words that have gone down in history as the vision
of a famous man vital to the changes brought about by his wisdom.
Because Joe was a man who looked up to Martin Luther King, he
borrowed this same phrase to encompass what he envisioned for
the world of hemophilia.
Joe Holibaugh was born on December 28, 1971
with severe hemophilia A, just like his older brother Eric.
When Joe was three years old, their hematologist told his parents,
“Don’t get too attached to this one, he has a high
titer inhibitor.” He was not expected to make it to school
age. Before you get teary-eyed, let me tell you that Joe lived
to be 34 years old. He left this earth on June 13, 2006, surrounded
by those he loved and a few of the many that loved him. Joe’s
life was not dictated by hemophilia or his inhibitor. He lived
life to the fullest, and had a great time doing it.
Until Eric passed on in January of 1997, Joe
was never directly involved within the hemophilia community.
With Eric’s passing, he decided the world of hemophilia
needed to change. He set out to do just that. He told his father,
Dan, “I don’t know how, Dad, but somehow my future
lies in working with hemophilia.” He took notice of the
hemophilia industry and knew that he could change the way that
business was being done. Joe set out to add “CARE”
to the homecare division of hemophilia. Knowing that there were
many profits being made, he set out to make sure the profits
were sent back to the community, and not to the Wall Street
stockholders.
Learning how to best meet his goal was a process
of trial and error. In 1999, he moved to Florida to work with
a company that he thought shared his vision. When he realized
that this group did not share Joe’s values, he decided
to look for someone with integrity to share his dream. He found
this in John Kelly, who hooked him up with six businessmen that
liked Joe’s philosophy, and in January 2003, Matrix Health
Group was born.
With having to deal with an inhibitor, Joe set
out to develop an Alliance of inhibitor information, to be shared
with everyone affected. Whether they used Matrix service or
not, every person was going to be able to participate in this
alliance; sharing their stories and solutions to problems of
life with an inhibitor. This alliance was close to becoming
a reality when Joe became too ill to see it to its fruition.
It is the goal of Matrix to carry on Joe’s dream.
This year at the National Hemophilia Foundation’s
annual symposium in Philadelphia, the former Youth Task Force
(now called NYLI for the National Youth Leadership Institute),
made a decision to honor someone who lived and died with hemophilia
in the hopes that the past will never be forgotten. They know
that those who went before had much harder lives to live; HIV/AIDS,
along with the entire alphabet soup of viruses that cut many
lives short. They turned to Laurie Kelley for suggestions, and
she thought that Joe Holibaugh was a good choice. After an interview
with Joe’s father, the group followed their instincts
and chose Joe.
At a very touching ceremony, Rich Pezzillo,
NYLI’s current leader, gave an emotional speech about
the importance of remembering the past. Participants of NYLI
and their guests performed a candle lighting ritual, followed
by a moment of silence and reflection. Just as touching, the
flames were extinguished, one by one. Joe’s father Dan
expressed his gratitude to the youth for their decision to honor
Joe. He then offered his experience as insight into the history
of hemophilia, including the HIV holocaust that claimed the
lives of thirty-five friends, as well as that of his older son,
Eric. Dan believes in the adage ‘learn from the past,
and then move on.’
Matrix would like to recognize the NYLI and
what they stand for. This is a group of teens and young adults
in their early twenties who themselves have a bleeding disorder,
have siblings with hemophilia or vonWillebrand disease, or are
carriers. They number twenty-three, and represent every geographic
area of the continental United States. Their goal is to make
life as meaningful as they can for those with bleeding disorders,
and to become leaders for the next generation. The purpose of
their honoring someone who has passed is to make sure that past
generations are not forgotten.
Joe, I hope you know that you live in the hearts
of many. You will never be forgotten.
