Hemophilia can't pin Eastside twins - from The Greenville News

Hemophilia can't pin Eastside twins
Greenville News, The (SC)
February 20, 2007
Author: Ann Green 
STAFF WRITER
agreen@greenvillenews.com

Corbin and Bryce Martin share the special bond of twins, and as Eastside High juniors, 
they've shared in the pride of winning state team and individual wrestling championships 
with the Eagles over the years.

"He makes me work hard, and I make him work hard," said Corbin, the older twin by mere minutes.

Bryce said it's good to have an extra set of eyes at competitions, adding, "I'll wrestle, 
and he'll watch the kid I have to wrestle next and tell me how he is."

Earlier this month, they helped Eastside win its fourth straight state team title, and this 
past weekend, both Martins won individual AAA Upper State championships in their weight 
classifications (Corbin in the 140-pound and Bryce in the 135). They will 
advance to the individual state competition this weekend in West Columbia.

But they share another bond.

"Every time they step on that mat, it's a gift, and they know it," said Sue Martin, their mother.

Those aren't empty words because Corbin and Bryce have hemophilia, which in another time and 
place or with a less supportive family and less determination might have limited their 
participation in a rigorous contact sport such as wrestling.

Hemophilia is a genetic bleeding disorder in which a clotting factor (factor IX in the twins' case) 
is missing or doesn't function properly.

Mrs. Martin and her family discovered that she is a carrier for the gene when Bryce was diagnosed 
with a kidney bleed in 1996.

"My oldest brother and sister didn't get hemophilia, but my twin and my older brother Jordan have 
it," Bryce said.

"It turned our lives upside down," said Mrs. Martin. "We went through the last 10 years trying to 
figure out how to work in the things they love. They were active children already, but the doctors 
would say that contact sports aren't recommended, and you shouldn't do this or that. We were always, 
'Why can't we try?' And through the years we figured out the best course of treatment for them."

Told that three of her sons have hemophilia and would never be as good athletes as their father or 
their oldest brother, Mrs. Martin said, "I refused to hear those words." If her sons wanted to be 
athletes, she'd help them reach their goal.

With sons Jordan, Bryce and Corbin, Sue and Ric Martin sought out treatment for their children and 
the knowledge that can become power in overcoming medical problems. But Mrs. Martin admitted that 
a lot of it was trial and error, and they are still learning. They carefully monitor the twins' 
matches and, if they are injured, make sure they get immediate and proper treatment.

The twins have moderate hemophilia as opposed to severe or mild. The boys inject a factor IX replacement 
into their blood on the day of their matches and during the week to help their blood clot if they are 
injured. They also make sure they have extra factor IX on hand at matches.

"We could never play football, but the doctors let us wrestle," said Bryce. "We don't have it as bad as 
some kids. We just have to treat ourselves a couple of times a week."

Said Mrs. Martin, "We're always evaluating where they are at, year to year," adding, "They can take a 
huge slam and be fine, then they can do something little, be running around outside and twist an ankle 
and that becomes a big injury that takes a long time healing. That's the nature of hemophilia. 
It's unpredictable. But you don't dwell on it.  Otherwise you don't do things."

Eastside High coach Jack Kosmicki has been part of the trial-and-error process, first with Jordan Martin, 
who has since graduated from Eastside and also was a state champion wrestler.

"At first I was nervous as could be. I wondered what would happen if they got a bloody nose or lip," 
Kosmicki said. "Mrs. Martin told me it was head injuries we wanted to be worried about, and they don't 
recover from sprains as quick."

Noted Bryce, "It takes a little bit longer to heal because we don't clot as well, but it's not too bad."

"It's a testament to their dedication," said Kosmicki.