Shawn Whelan was born in Los Angeles, California and diagnosed with hemophilia shortly after birth. The Hemophilia Foundation of Southern California (HFSC) became an important component for Shawn’s family and him to learn how to successfully manage the condition and even find a sense of community and purpose. Shawn has always been one to break past boundaries, and not willing to let hemophilia hold him back, he became motivated to pursue a medical career – publishing research on inhibitor formation for several years abroad in Vienna, Austria and now working as a primary care doctor with UCLA Health in Ventura, California, where he strives to enable others to reach their optimal health by taking a holistic approach. His wife Sabine (originally from Vienna) and he share 2 kids: Julian-4 and Josephine 2 (a carrier for hemophilia).

He has remained dedicated to the Hemophilia community through volunteering as a summer camp counselor, speaking at community events, as a member of the scholarship review board, and one of his proudest achievements helping to start the Shaka Surf Day event. When he’s not working and all along with family time, Shawn enjoys traveling the world and surfing. Shawn is excited and honored to now help further HFSC’s mission to support and grow the hemophilia community in Southern California as its newest board member.