by Shelly Fisher

Katy Haigood is a unique individual, and not just because she is a woman with hemophilia.

She is also a wife, mother, and entrepreneur with a thriving business. The only thing more infectious than her smile is her laugh. She’s the kind of person you want to have with you at the hospital when you’re scheduled for surgery, and that’s just what she was doing when we visited.

When I asked her if we needed to reschedule, I heard a cheery voice off screen say, “I’m okay!” At that point, Katy and her pre-op bestie erupted into schoolgirl giggles, and if it hadn’t been for the doctor and nurses coming in and out of the room, I would have guessed she had zoomed in straight from a slumber party. She’s no stranger to a hospital. Her calm demeanor and supportive humor belied the fact that she’s been on the reciprocal side of some difficult surgeries and long recoveries.

When I asked Katy about her diagnosis, her face took on the determined look of someone who had fought a few rounds and emerged triumphant. Family history, years of undiagnosed bleeding requiring emergency operations, including hemorrhaging after the birth of her daughter, and internal hematomas after necessary, risk-reducing surgeries due to positive test results for the BRCA1 gene, led Katy to push for a diagnosis.

She wasn’t surprised when her hematologist told her she was “fine.” After all, “doctors don’t really take women seriously on hemophilia issues.” The young mother and business owner persevered, was officially she talked about the impact that the Symposium had diagnosed, and received infusions before and after her final surgery. This resulted in less pain and substantially shorter recovery times. Finally, she had an answer to all of her questions and confirmation for what she instinctively knew was the issue all along.

Katy attributed much of her ability to “rise above it all” to her support system made up of her dad, stepmom, husband, children, and communities like The Coalition for Hemophilia B. Her dad and many of her many male cousins were diagnosed with hemophilia B and it is thanks to them that she recognized her symptoms early on in the journey to resolve her health issues.

Her dad has been a member of The Coalition for Hemophilia B for years and Katy was excited to attend the Symposium with him this past March. In fact, she and her family, along with her stepmom and dad, headed to Orlando a little early. “We did some deep-sea fishing and went to Universal Studios - my daughter was finally tall enough to ride some of the big kid rides.”

Her devotion to eight-year-old Lisa was evident when she talked about the impact that the Symposium had on her whole family. “Lisa absolutely loved it there,” and the Coalition gave them the opportunity to meet families facing similar issues, confirmation that Katy was more than a diagnosis and assurance that she wasn’t alone in her journey. “It was just nice to not feel like I was the only one going through these things. They were teaching kids to infuse; they were poking their parents and it was the coolest thing.”

As an entrepreneur, she has taken “rising above it all” to a whole new level, and when I asked about her family business, Tower M&L Services, LLC., Katy’s face lit up. Her pride in her husband Aaron’s abilities were obvious. “My husband has been climbing for 15 years and it just made sense for us to start our own business providing lighting services to cell companies. He’s really good with the electrical systems on the towers, all of the operations, and managing our crew.” Katy shared she handles all the accounting and human resources aspects, and then it became crystal clear that it is truly a family business when she explained the name they chose.

“For our customers, M & L stands for maintenance and lighting, but for us, it stands for our children Max and Lisa.” Their clients have taken them across the nation, and they recently visited Washington and California with plans to travel to Maine and New Hampshire in the coming weeks.

After overcoming so many years of unexplained issues, Katy would like nothing better than to build a legacy for her children and keep pushing to new heights in every area of her life. “I’d like to put my kid through college on my dime and leave a thriving business.” After losing her mom at 45, she understands how important it is to make family a priority, but she also cautions moms to take care of their health. “Don’t feel guilty. Take the time you need for yourself.”

Even in her free time, Katy manages to soar to new heights as a roller coaster enthusiast. Her goal is to visit every Six Flag theme park across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. But just how many are there? There are 27, and I have every confidence Katy and her family will visit each one. “Even with all of the problems I have, I’m still coming out on top and living life.” Thanks to her determination and a heart as big as the state that hosts the original Six Flags Over Texas, the sky is the limit for Katy Haigood and her family.