I am a member of the inherited bleeding disorder community. I was diagnosed with VWD at age 40, and I have one daughter with Factor VII and VWD and another daughter with VWD. I am also a Lived Experience Expert (LEE) co chair for the National Research Blueprint (NRB). I am an advocate, mother, wife and friend.

I joined the BDAI board in 2023. I've been in global trade financing for over 10 years structuring complex international trade transactions. My real passions are my family, traveling, hiking, outreach, and advocating for the bleeding disorders community. My family has been affected by hemophilia A severe for three generations, and I am blessed that my son was born in an era marveled by the advances in treatment. I am a BDAI Advocacy Ambassador and have been an outreach group leader since 2018. I look forward to further serving the community and BDAI.

Representing a VWD type 3 family, I’m thrilled to be on the board and strive to use my skills and experiences to support the mission of BDAI and help grow its reach and robustness. Living with a rare and severe bleeding disorder in our family has given us the opportunity to learn, advocate, educate, and build a community with wonderful, supportive people we may never have met otherwise. With a master’s degree in collaborative piano from the Cleveland Institute of Music, I’ve worked with many instrumentalists, singers, and choirs, including performing in Paris for a European premiere and in Berlin for the Louis Lewandowski Festival. A jill of many trades, I’m the pianist for Congregation BJBE; assistant conductor and administrator for Kol Zimrah Jewish Community Singers; administrator for The Max Janowski Society; managing director of Darchei Noam Glenbrook; and a certified Salesforce administrator. When I have free time (ha!), it is spent enjoying the company of my extraordinarily supportive husband and my very imaginative child.

My name is Mayra Cantu. I’m a carrier and mother of three sons with hemophilia A. I became involved in the community 18 years ago when my oldest son was diagnosed with hemophilia A severe. I have been part of the BDAI board since 2020. BDAI and the community welcomed my family when we moved from Texas to Illinois, and I hope to successfully continue that comradery amongst our community. I was a part of NHF Guia Culturales 2017 and had the pleasure of meeting many families affected by bleeding disorders throughout the U.S. and from other countries. I have also participated in advocacy events throughout my years as a hemo mom. Outside of the bleeding disorders community, I’m a social worker. I work closely with families in the community I work in and connect them with the resources they need.

Dr. Iftikhar Haider holds a Ph.D. in applied linguistics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Before starting his Ph.D., he graduated from UIUC with an MA in teaching English as a second language. Dr. Haider also works as a subject matter expert (SME) for National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) of America. Iftikhar is also part of the research infrastructure working group for the National Research Blueprint (NRB) project. Iftikhar’s areas of interest are ESL writing, language assessment, second language pragmatics, health communication, and computer-mediated communication. Iftikhar has also worked as a faculty member for the TESOL department at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri.

I'm a dedicated mum of four, balancing the joys and challenges of parenting with a full-time career as a Program Administrator. My days are a blend of managing family life and overseeing programs, ensuring both my kids and work projects thrive. With a strong commitment to organization and efficiency, I strive to create a harmonious balance between my professional and personal responsibilities. My connection to the Bleeding Disorders Alliance Illinois (BDAI) is that I'm a carrier of factor XIII deficiency and my son, Anthony, is severe. My motivation for joining the board stems from my personal connection to the community. As a carrier of factor XIII deficiency and the mother of a son with severe factor XIII deficiency, I have firsthand experience with the challenges and support systems associated with rare bleeding disorders. This community has provided invaluable support to me, my family, and my son. I am deeply grateful and want to give back, contributing my time and efforts to help others facing similar hallenges and to ensure that support and resources continue to be available for families in need.