Stephen Christmas
Encyclopedia
Stephen Christmas was the first patient described to have Christmas disease (or Haemophilia B) in 1952 by a group of British doctors.
family in London
. He emigrated to Toronto
, Canada
with his family, and was there at the age of 2 years that haemophilia was diagnosed at the Hospital for Sick Children
. The family returned to London in 1952 to visit their relatives, and during the trip Stephen was admitted to hospital. A sample of his blood was sent to the Oxford Haemophilia Centre in Oxford
, where Rosemary Biggs and R.G. McFarlane discovered that he was not deficient in Factor VIII
, which is normally decreased in classic haemophilia, but a different protein, which received the name Christmas factor in his honour (and later Factor IX
).
Stephen enrolled in the Ryerson Institute of Technology (now Ryerson University) in Toronto studying photography
. He worked as a taxicab
driver after graduation and was employed for some years as a medical photographer at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Stephen was dependent on blood and plasma transfusions
, and was infected with HIV
in the period during which blood was not routinely screened for this virus. He became an active worker for the Canadian Haemophilia Society and campaigned for transfusion safety ever since getting infected, but developed AIDS
, of which he died in 1993.
Biography
Stephen was born to a BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
family in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He emigrated to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with his family, and was there at the age of 2 years that haemophilia was diagnosed at the Hospital for Sick Children
Hospital for Sick Children
The Hospital for Sick Children – is a major paediatric centre for the Greater Toronto Area, serving patients up to age 18. Located on University Avenue in Downtown Toronto, SickKids is part of the city’s Discovery District, a critical mass of scientists and entrepreneurs who are focused on...
. The family returned to London in 1952 to visit their relatives, and during the trip Stephen was admitted to hospital. A sample of his blood was sent to the Oxford Haemophilia Centre in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, where Rosemary Biggs and R.G. McFarlane discovered that he was not deficient in Factor VIII
Factor VIII
Factor VIII is an essential blood clotting factor also known as anti-hemophilic factor . In humans, Factor VIII is encoded by the F8 gene...
, which is normally decreased in classic haemophilia, but a different protein, which received the name Christmas factor in his honour (and later Factor IX
Factor IX
Factor IX is one of the serine proteases of the coagulation system; it belongs to peptidase family S1. Deficiency of this protein causes hemophilia B. It was discovered in 1952 after a young boy named Stephen Christmas was found to be lacking this exact factor, leading to...
).
Stephen enrolled in the Ryerson Institute of Technology (now Ryerson University) in Toronto studying photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
. He worked as a taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
driver after graduation and was employed for some years as a medical photographer at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Stephen was dependent on blood and plasma transfusions
Blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
, and was infected with HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
in the period during which blood was not routinely screened for this virus. He became an active worker for the Canadian Haemophilia Society and campaigned for transfusion safety ever since getting infected, but developed AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, of which he died in 1993.