Ayla's Story

Ayla
Age 10

Colorado
The Children’s Hospital
Blood Disorder

When Ayla was 3 years old, a minor accident on the playground resulted in severe dark bruises on her legs. When her worried parents took her to the doctor, the test results turned their world upside down.

Ayla was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a disease that affects the body’s ability to clot blood and stop bleeding. The disease made Ayla’s body unable to control even the smallest cut or bruise—a frightening scenario for an active toddler. Although 90 percent of childhood ITP cases clear up within a year, Ayla’s did not. Her ITP is chronic, necessitating numerous blood transfusions, frequent hospital visits and even a splenectomy.

A few months after her diagnosis, Ayla’s family moved to Denver, Colo., so she could receive ongoing care at The Children’s Hospital. “At our first appointment, we knew we had found the right place,” said Ayla’s father, Jay.

Now 10, Ayla is mature, empathetic and patient with the challenges of her disease. She plays the piano and violin, and loves to swim and dance.