More Than A Nosebleed: Buddy’s Story

For years, no one could explain Buddy Pitts’ chronic nosebleeds. Raised as a self-described “military brat,” he received a range of hypotheses from Army doctors, who speculated that the bleeds could be caused by anything from bone spurs to even leukemia.

Still without answers, Buddy says he eventually just learned to deal with the bleeding – joining the fire department in Montgomery, Alabama at 22 years old, fighting the nosebleeds alongside fires sometimes.

Over the years, Buddy’s nose bleeding actually began to lessen, but his hemoglobin levels continued to drop. It would be another 20 years before he finally heard the term “HHT.”

One of Buddy’s four daughters, three of whom have HHT, was clinically diagnosed by her local physician. Shortly thereafter, Buddy and his family traveled to the HHT Center of Excellence at Augusta University to get tested and scanned.

There, it was found that Buddy had significant GI bleeding – an endoscopy revealing hundreds of telangiectasias. This finding led to a cycle of cautery procedures, which would bring relief for a few weeks before his hemoglobin would fall again.   His hemoglobin hovered between 7 to 9, rarely higher. Buddy was getting iron every six weeks and receiving two units of blood at least once per year.

Eventually, Buddy tried Avastin, but he experienced kidney-related issues from the medication. Earlier this year, however, Buddy’s doctor at Augusta was able to start him on Pazopanib—a repurposed cancer drug that has shown promise in HHT patients. Cure HHT is currently directly sponsoring a Phase II/III clinical trial of Pazopanib, with the hope it will become the first FDA-approved treatment for HHT.

Buddy says within 3 months after starting Pazopanib, his hemoglobin has returned and stayed in the normal range. He hasn’t seen any signs of GI bleeding and has only received one iron infusion since.

“Before, I couldn’t walk 100 yards without needing to catch my breath,” Buddy says. “Now I’m back to doing activities like playing golf and fishing. This has been life changing. I can’t tell you how much my quality of life has improved.”

Reflecting on the importance of supporting Cure HHT’s mission to find diverse therapeutic options, Buddy shares, “I have three daughters and four grandchildren with HHT. You know the challenges this disease can bring. Donating helps the foundation find treatments that can improve not only your quality of life but the next generation’s as well.”

HHT is not just an occasional nosebleed and your tax-deductible donation to Cure HHT can make the difference for individuals like Buddy. Your contribution will fund vital research, education, and support programs that are making a difference in the lives of people affected by HHT.

Together, we can work towards a future where every patient receives the care, resources, and awareness they deserve.