Daleville girl excels in wrestling despite rare blood affliction
Jan. 24—DALEVILLE — Maintaining intense focus is essential for successful athletes, particularly for one who competes in an individual sport. They must have the ability to tune out crowd noise and other distractions.
This certainly applies to Daleville freshman wrestler Kynlie Keffer, who is so determined to win the battle on the mat she is oblivious to the war going on in her own body.
Keffer, who was the 106-pound runner-up at the girls wrestling state finals earlier this month, has been wrestling since the age of 7. At 9 years old, she tested positive for Von Willebrand Disease, a lesser known but more common blood-clotting disorder similar to hemophilia.
Already afflicted with asthma and a chronic iron deficiency, Keffer and her family took the diagnosis in stride. The oldest of four children, Kynlie's status was discovered when younger brother, Zeke, was diagnosed as well.
"She had previously been diagnosed with alpha thalassemia, which is in the sickle-cell family," her mother, Ronna, said. "They ran a gamut of tests on (Zeke), and he had what they considered a lower Von Willebrand's factor, so they said it was in our best interest to test the other children, and specifically Kynlie because she had a history of nosebleeds.
"I don't think I would have the normal reaction that others would have because, every time someone would say 'We need to talk' and something else was wrong."
"Especially during the winter I get really bad nosebleeds," Keffer said. "That's really scary, and I have to put Vaseline up my nose. I don't really worry about bumping into things because I do that all the time, and that's not really scary anymore."
According to bleedingdisorders.com, VWD is the most common bleeding disorder and comes in three types. Keffer suffers from Type 1, the mildest and most common form of the disease which, unlike hemophilia, affects a person's mucous membranes such as those found in the respiratory, digestive and reproductive systems.
At its essence, the disease is a genetic disorder involving a lack of the Von Willebrand factor, which aids in blood clotting. It is named for the Finnish doctor who first identified the ailment in 1926. It affects about 1% of the U.S. population — approximately 3.2 million people — and can be found in men and women equally.
The affliction poses a potential problem for a wrestler as a nosebleed could prove catastrophic. In fact, the scariest incident for Keffer came when she was a Wes-Del middle school athlete and had what her mother referred to as a "gusher."
"She double-leg blasted her and hit Kynlie's head just right," Ronna said. "That was probably the first time because Kynlie stood up right away and said, 'Oh, my head.' I ran down the bleachers and said she has to get checked by a trainer."
Keffer's father, Ron, was never a big fan of his daughter wrestling. He was flat-out opposed to the idea in the beginning, and the added danger that came with the diagnosis did nothing to help that feeling. But he relented to his wife and daughter's wishes.
Now that Keffer is enjoying the type of success she has had, he is full of the type of pride only a father's heart can know.
"It's amazing," he said. "There's not a day goes by that she does not impress me with what she can do on that mat. When she's out there, it's like (her illness) doesn't even bother her."
There are multiple forms of treatment for VWD, but no cure. As Keffer ages, the disease will likely progress into Type 2 or Type 3, requiring alterations to her lifestyle and medications.
"As she gets older, I think it gets a little bit scarier," Ronna said.
Her blood is checked yearly to monitor her levels, but being physically active — she also runs cross country and track — helps for now.
"There could come a time when my (Von Willebrand) levels get too low and I can't wrestle anymore," Keffer said. "When I was on a break from sports, I would get up and feel dizzy and woozy. That doesn't happen during sports season. I don't get as sick."
For now, Keffer is living the carefree life of a teenager, showing animals for 4-H and worrying less about a blood disorder than about her hair, which currently includes a shock of blue on one side. She changes the color — it has previously been red, magenta and lime-green — when she gets bored.
Some may assume the unusual coloring she adds to her hair is a way to seek attention.
But that is not the case, according to Daleville wrestling coach Dalton Baysinger. Rather, he said Keffer is a most humble athlete who rarely draws attention to herself.
"You really wouldn't know that any of these things were taking place. She doesn't ever want — even with the hair — to stand out," he said. "Among the team, she very much just wants to put her nose down and work."
Keffer is 25-3 after a runner-up finish at the Mid-Eastern Conference tournament last weekend. Saturday, she will join the rest of the Broncos' team in competition at the IHSAA sectional at Delta with hopes of advancing to the regional round.
Contact Rob Hunt at
or 765-640-4886.
