The video launched on YouTube and was Genentech in Hemophilia branded, as Genentech makes a product for hemophilia A.

Hemophilia A is a rare bleeding disorder that affects 20,000 people (almost all men) in the US. Because it’s a chronic condition that significantly impacts men physically, many suffer repercussions mentally as well. We wanted to tackle the sensitive topic of mental health in the community, the moment we heard Heber’s story, we knew how powerful it could be to open a conversation about mental health.

This episode focused on a father’s struggles with mental health after an unthinkable accident, in which he backed over his son (who has hemophilia) with a car. While Heber’s boy made a full recovery, the emotional trauma rendered him unable to drive in reverse--a devastating effect for a man whose #1 passion in life is driving. To help, we brought Heber together with someone who could relate to him on a deeper level: Cody Ware, an internationally renowned racecar driver who suffers from PTSD, caused by a horrific bullying incident in his teenage years. Magician, comedian, and host of Challenge Accepted, Justin Willman, brings levity, but ultimately takes a back seat, leaving Heber and Cody to discuss their shared pain and the impact it has had on their lives—years after their trauma.

While the episode focuses on trauma and the importance of opening up for your mental health, it is so much more than the coming together of two men in pain. We infused funny moments from Justin Willman to help break the ice. And eventually, the episode turns a corner, leading to joy—as Cody brings Heber on a drive in the car of his dreams. In the end, it showed that moving in reverse is overrated. The key to coping is moving forward.   

We interviewed Heber in the Fall of 2019 in the hopes of filming in early 2020, but due to the pandemic, we were forced to postpone. And although we filmed nearly 2 years later, his trauma and story were as raw and real as ever. We knew finding the right coach to navigate such a delicate conversation was important, but finding one that could connect with Heber on so many levels (pain, trauma, and of course, cars), was what made this episode as powerful as it was. We filmed the nearly 18-minute episode in one day. Everything, aside from a shot schedule and Justin Willman’s lines, was unscripted. The episode was filmed in October and released on YouTube in February.

After the episode premiered, we heard from all involved about the impact this experience had on their lives. Heber remarked that if Cody can become a professional racecar driver after what he’d been through, then he and others struggling can do anything they set their mind to. We also heard from many others in the hemophilia community, reaching out to tell us how profound this film was for them. The most surprising was a note from the head of the Hemophilia Federation of America, who wrote, “All I can say is, ‘Wow.’  It was so powerful. I applaud your efforts to broach such a difficult topic in the bleeding disorders community. The trauma experienced by Heber brought tears to my eyes—as do many of the stories of people in this community. We ALL experience our mental health journey one quarter mile at a time—though for some, it’s a hellacious journey

This project was created by a US biopharmaceutical company. It was subject to review by internal medical/legal/regulatory teams at Genentech as well as the FDA.

This film was a special episode of Challenge Accepted, a reality TV series created by Genentech for the hemophilia community, that tackles the unspoken issues of people living with hemophilia. This episode focused on a father’s challenges with mental health, a topic many in the community struggle to discuss.