Albertans living with a serious blood disorder are getting some new support from a nine-year-old boy in Okotoks.
Nicklas Nordean isn’t letting his own condition get in the way of helping others.
He has been diagnosed with hemophilia.
“He’s missing an essential blood-clotting protein in his blood,” Nicklas’ mother Andrea Radke said. “He has the condition severely, which makes him prone to injury — mostly internal bleeding or joint bleeding.”
The disorder has caused Nicklas to withdraw from organized hockey.
“If you get hit, you could start bleeding for a long time,” Nicklas said.
He and his family are now helping others dealing with the condition by running a big bottle drive.
“Fundraising for the (Canadian) Hemophilia Society (Alberta chapter),” Nicklas said. “Because they do a lot for us and they help us with getting all the medications.”
The family project started after a suggestion from Nicklas.
“It was Nicklas’ idea. One day he just came up and said, ‘Mom, I want to do a fundraiser,'” Radke said.
Nicklas said the reason was simple: “I just wanted to give back.”
Among those supporting the effort by donating to the bottle drive was Okotoks resident Lisa Watts.
“If we can support the new generation doing something this lovely, that’s the kind of support we want out there,” Watts said. “We want youngsters to think beyond themselves, just like Nicklas is doing.”
The bottle drive is turning out to be a success.
“The community has stepped up and helped out a lot,” Nicklas’ father Jayson Nordean said.
That support has raised the total amount donated to well beyond the family’s initial target.
“Nicklas’ goal was to raise $400 for the Hemophilia Society,” Radke said. “Right now, we’re close to $800, which is awesome.”