My name is Hartley. I am 5 years old and have been living with ITP for over a year. It was really hard to get a diagnosis. When we told my pediatrician about my frequent nose bleeds and bruising, we were told it was normal. It wasn’t until a 4-hour nosebleed landed me in the ER that it was noticed that I had low platelets, and after multiple months of testing, it was determined that I have chronic ITP. My ongoing health journey takes up a lot of my life right now – going to the doctor, having nose bleeds, or being tired seems to be a constant Struggle. However, my friends and family have been so supportive with prayers and sometimes presents, which always encourages me. I try to spend my good days playing outside with my animals and doing arts and crafts. Having ITP may come with its bad days, but I refuse to let it crush my fearless spirit. I may have ITP, but it doesn’t define me.

itp warrior hartley

Hartley’s a member of the ITP POKE-R Club for Kids, an amazing PDSA membership perk! With her Buzzy distraction device for every doctor’s visit, Harley is able to bravely conquer needle-phobia. Buzzy’s secret? An ice pack and gentle vibration that work together to make needle pokes as painless as possible.

Each visit rewards Hartley with a poker chip, as a token of her bravery. When she collects ten chips, she receives a prize from PDSA.

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