– If you had to choose one thing, when you reflect on Covid-19 crisis, what has had the greatest impact on you?– What has been your greatest fear?– What has been or is still actually the most difficult for you?– Are there any positives you have taken away from these experiences?– What have you learned that will help you to deal with future lockdowns and pandemics?
Christina Burgess was formerly Head of Services at the UK Haemophilia Society (2014 – 2017), where she devised and developed many of the services that exist there today. Christina had trained as a counsellor for British Airways many years ago and has always recognised the importance of mental wellbeing on people’s quality of life. To this end, having recognised the lack of psychological support in the UK for people in the bleeding disorders community, in early 2018 Christina founded HBDCA (Haemophilia and Bleeding Disorders Counselling Association), of which she is Director. The team at HBDCA have in-depth knowledge of bleeding disorders, either having a disorder themselves, being the parent of a child with a disorder, or had already worked in bleeding disorder psychological support. Having been contracted in 2019 to provide psychological support to patients at the Royal London Haemophilia Department, HBDCA looks forward to returning there once the Covid-19 situation resolves.
Christina is privileged to have been a member of the EHC Inhibitor Working Group since 2015, a community she is passionate about. She is also Secretary of the EAHAD Psychosocial Working Group, which aims to improve access to, and provision of, psychosocial support across Europe. In addition, Christina is a consultant and committee member of LFwBD, (Local Families with Bleeding Disorders) a new charity in the UK. Christina was interim CEO, in 2017 – 2018, whilst setting up HBDCA, of CARIS Haringey a homeless charity in north London. She is now a trustee and committed volunteer. On 2 June, CARIS was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
