Why We Walk: Team Mark The Dad

This article was originally published in our Summer 2026 Bleeding Times Magazine. See the entire magazine by clicking here.

Author: Maria Kleback

My dad, Mark Kleback, was born with Hemophilia A, along with his brother Stephen. They both faced complex medical challenges throughout their lives, as treatments for hemophilia were still evolving during their childhood. Eventually they both passed away due to complications which stemmed from having hemophilia. After losing my dad, I sought out ways to connect with him. One of those ways was finding my local bleeding disorders chapter. I am a carrier of Hemophilia A and wanted to learn more about it as well as join the community in case I ever chose to have children.

Two years ago, we decided to join the NYCHC Unite Walk in honor of my dad, and we named our team after him. We went with the name “Mark the Dad” to differentiate between him and my brother, “Mark the Son.”

Last year was the tenth anniversary of my dad’s death, so our team of his family and friends went big to celebrate him. We were excited to be part of such a supportive community, and we even won the Team Spirit award!

Our team t-shirt has a tomato on it, which I see as a symbol for my dad. He always used to say that he wanted to get a tattoo of a tomato, but we always knew it was a joke because of his bleeding disorder. We grew tomatoes in our garden and loved to grow and eat them together. They also serve as a funny connection to Hemophilia as the main ingredient of a Bloody Mary. It was just too perfect!

I was overwhelmed by the support from the community and by the amount I learned about new treatments that are available! Everyone I met was so kind and welcoming. We’re excited to walk again this year in honor of Mark the Dad and to continue to learn and grow in this incredible community.