Melanie Bloom:  Every year in our nation there are two million people who suffer from deep vein thrombosis and out of that, approximately 300,000 people die from DVT, which is more than AIDS and breast cancer combined. You can talk to anybody and they know about HIV prevention and breast cancer awareness, but you mention DVT and people say, “Huh?” just like I did.  It is just a little known condition that wreaks havoc with people's lives and we are really trying to get people to find out about DVT, and not in the way my daughters and I did.  We do not want another family to suffer from something that can be prevented.

Gary Barg: You mentioned the Coalition to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis. I think you are doing tremendous work.  Can you tell us how we can get involved, what else the coalition is doing?

Melanie Bloom:  We are always welcoming members.  We now have 70 members of medical societies, hospital organizations, everything from the ACCP to the society of hospitals, ACA Group, and Leapfrog; and so there is a wonderful membership that we enjoy.  Our Web site is also interactive, so there are places on there where people can write in their own stories about DVT.

Gary Barg: Melanie, what would be the one most important piece of advice you would like to leave family caregivers with?

Melanie Bloom: That is a really great question.  I have two answers, because one speaks to the personal side, which is to cherish the time you do have with those you are caring for because life is fleeting.  And the other would be (putting on my DVT awareness hat), to just remind people that DVT will take 300,000 lives this year and yet you, with simple measures and awareness, can prevent that from happening to those for whom you care.  Learn more and be proactive with your healthcare and the healthcare of those for whom you care.