Billy Eshleman

A musician, board game enthusiast and community advocate, Billy doesn't let his hemophilia A stop him from doing the things he loves.

Billy Eshleman

A musician, board game enthusiast and community advocate, Billy doesn't let his hemophilia A stop him from doing the things he loves.

Watch Billy's story

Every speaker has a unique perspective and life experience to share. Hear Billy Eshleman’s success story with KOVALTRY®.

Billy Eshleman

When Billy Eshleman was diagnosed with severe hemophilia A, it wasn’t the first time his family had heard of the condition. With a long family history of hemophilia A, Billy’s parents knew that there was a strong chance that he, too, could test positive at birth.

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Meet Billy

How did you learn to navigate living with hemophilia A?

“I always wanted to learn more about hemophilia and how to manage my treatment. When I was six, I even knew how hemophilia worked genetically and would explain it to other kids as a ‘fun fact’ about myself. When I’m open and honest about my hemophilia with others, it feels like I’m taking control of my condition and my life. Hemophilia A is a part of me, but I don’t let it define me.”

How did you find a sense of community growing up?

“Having hemophilia A, I knew certain sports like football weren’t in the cards for me, so music was an outlet that I could invest a lot of time and energy into. I first got involved in the music community in middle school and stuck with it in high school. I was the drum major for the marching band and president of the instrumental music club. My love for music remains strong today and I’ve since worked in music education and served on the board of directors for my local choir.”

What have you learned about yourself over the years?

“I’ve learned the importance of patience and self-advocacy. I’ve started to recognize that this is just a part of who I am, and I try to have more patience with myself and my emotions about hemophilia. I've also learned to advocate for myself inside and outside of the doctor’s office. The more we know about our own condition, the more we can advocate for ourselves.”

" Having a community of folks who know what it’s like to be in my shoes is so powerful."

Hemophilia A patient, Billy Eshleman, having a discussion at an outdoor dining table.

Leaning into the hemophilia community

Finding other community members with common interests has allowed Billy to form new friendships. In fact, some of his greatest friends are those in his local hemophilia community.

Billy’s involvement started when he was a young camper and even today, Billy stays involved by volunteering as a camp counselor. “My biggest takeaway from camp is the importance of community,” Billy says. “Having a community of folks who know what it’s like to be in my shoes is so powerful.”

Hemophilia A patient, Billy Eshleman, smiling with two people sitting across from him.

Sharing his passions with others

Billy loves finding ways to blend his interests into everything he does. A board game enthusiast at heart, Billy says, “I’m a firm believer that board games are for everyone. You just have to find the right one.”

He loves bringing folks together by hosting game nights with his friends from choir or the local hemophilia community. “I’ve found that if you focus on where your passions lie, you’ll find other folks who you get along with! Mixing my love for music and board games by hosting game nights with my choir friends is a perfect example of that.”

Moving forward with KOVALTRY

In Billy’s experience, having a treatment that works for his unique lifestyle is an important part of navigating hemophilia. Since starting KOVALTRY in 2017, Billy has found that KOVALTRY’s personalized dosing helps him feel confident in his coverage when doing activities like water aerobics or hiking.

“I appreciate knowing that if I go on three hikes a week on my scheduled dosing days, I can infuse before each hike and feel confident about my factor levels,” Billy says. “Outside of the five minutes I spend infusing, I don’t really think much else about my treatment, which is a great feeling.”

In college, Billy was part of the Drum Corps, which involved traveling to rehearse and compete across the country. At that stage of his life, he was very active and on his feet often. "Infusing with KOVALTRY three times per week helped me feel confident in my factor levels during those times when I was on my feet more," Billy says.

KOVALTRY works for Billy, but your needs are personal to you. Speak with your doctor to find out if KOVALTRY could be right for you.

Hemophilia A patient, Billy Eshleman, taking a selfie with another person at the beach.

Hemophilia A patient, Billy Eshleman, lifting his right hand, looking sideways with a mountain in the background.

A retro image of Hemophilia A patient, Billy Eshleman, and his father sitting on the ground playing with a toy.

Hemophilia A patient, Billy Eshleman, speaking at community gathering.

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INDICATION FOR KOVALTRY®

KOVALTRY® is a medicine used to replace clotting factor (Factor VIII or antihemophilic factor) that is missing in people with hemophilia A.

KOVALTRY is used to treat and control bleeding in adults and children with hemophilia A. KOVALTRY can reduce the number of bleeding episodes in adults and children with hemophilia A when used regularly (prophylaxis). Your healthcare provider may give you KOVALTRY when you have surgery.

KOVALTRY is not used to treat von Willebrand Disease.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

You should not use KOVALTRY if you are allergic to rodents (like mice and hamsters) or any ingredients in KOVALTRY.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have heart disease or are at risk for heart disease.

The common side effects of KOVALTRY are fever, headache, and rash, in addition to inhibitors in patients who were not previously treated or minimally treated with Factor VIII products.

Your body may make antibodies, called “inhibitors” against KOVALTRY, which may stop KOVALTRY from working properly. If your bleeding is not adequately controlled, it could be due to the development of Factor VIII inhibitors. Consult with your healthcare provider to make sure you are carefully monitored with blood tests for the development of inhibitors to Factor VIII.

Allergic reactions may occur with KOVALTRY. Call your healthcare provider right away and stop treatment if you get tightness of the chest or throat, dizziness, decrease in blood pressure, and nausea.

Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your healthcare provider right away if bleeding is not controlled after using KOVALTRY.

For additional important risk and use information, please see full Prescribing Information.