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BioMarin sponsors Hemophilia, a musical created by teens who have bleeding disorders

Writer's picture: The SOF TeamThe SOF Team

Updated: Jun 4, 2022

20 high school teens and five siblings perform an original six-song musical about life with a Hemophilia, thanks to BioMarin’s sponsorship


Image source: Forbes


Sponsors of the Future go above and beyond by facilitating solid connections and partnerships between healthcare and life science businesses, special needs caregivers, and educators dedicated to creating an environment with various practical support programs and real-world solutions for patient challenges.

Biotech BioMarin Pharmaceuticals’s program is a great example of a corporate sponsorship similar to what SOF works toward in its corporate programs.

BioMarin has introduced a sponsorship that helps bring awareness to the bleeding disorder Hemophilia.


In early 2022, BioMarin Pharmaceuticals introduced their hybrid virtual + in-person Breaking Through! program, which was focused on film-making. Partnering with Believe Limited, which brought experience as writers, producers, directors, and editors to the Breaking Through program, young adults 18 and over were empowered to tell their stories about their bleeding disorders and how it’s shaped their lives.

However, this is not the first show that BioMarin Pharmaceuticals has sponsored. In 2018, in preparation for the first-ever musical about bleeding disorders, BioMarin put together a three-day workshop led by Believe Limited, called Breaking Through!, to help the teens with blood disorders practice and perform an original six-song musical about life with a bleeding disorder. Professional lyricists and composers guided the teens through the musical aspect while trained facilitators and therapists who conducted sessions on “breathing and relaxation for pain management” and the “psycho-social benefits of communication and self-expression in the arts.”



Image source: Fierce Pharma


The “Breaking Through!” show was performed by 20 high school students and five siblings affected by the bleeding disorder Hemophilia. The show’s musical director, Paul Russell, has also had experience with the community, as he was a vocal coach and director of the U.K. Haemophilia Society choir. Thus, the representation in the show genuinely expressed the life of someone with Hemophilia.

Why is a show like this important for teens with these challenges?

In addition to spreading awareness of the bleeding disorder Hemophilia, this show actively provides teens with bleeding disorders the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities that they can join. Teens and young adults with bleeding disorders often struggle when trying to join in activities. Advancements in treatment do allow some patients to play sports. However, not all can do so.

This performance sponsored by BioMarin allows these teens to connect, socialize, collaborate, and push themselves where they otherwise would not. The purpose of the show ultimately is to empower teens and young adults with Hemophilia by educating viewers through their performances and simultaneously proving to the community that they can do the same sorts of activities in that way.

Who is BioMarin, and why are they doing this?

Established in 1977, BioMarin is a world leader in developing and commercializing therapies for rare genetic diseases. BioMarin sponsored this show, partnering with Believe Limited for “Breaking Through!” to provide young adults with powerful education on the healing and therapeutic power of the arts and self-expression. BioMarin has become ‘emotionally involved in patients’ lives’ as part of its business model. Why? Because executives are inspired by their customers and see their value.




Image source: BioMarin


This example is also not the first corporate sponsorship BioMarin has led in the past years. BioMarin also sponsors cooking classes for parents of kids with phenylketonuria (PKU), a condition where people can’t process a particular amino acid found in many foods. They did this to teach the parents how to make meals that meet those strict dietary restrictions. BioMarin wants to know and understand the people they’re helping––that is why they are so invested in creating sponsorships like these.

It does not take much to make a difference; even donating time is as important as donating money. There is much that biotech and life science companies, small and large, can do to help change people’s lives, and corporate sponsorships are one way to do that. BioMarin is just one example of the several biotech and life science companies that are making an effort to help those in their communities in need––whether that be disabled, have certain disorders, or their families.

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