Film Your Blood Clot Story

Submit a Video Story for Blood Clot Awareness Month 

Blood clots do not discriminate. They can affect anyone, of all shapes and sizes, of any age, ethnicity, race, or gender. Truly anybody can get a blood clot.  

In preparation for Blood Clot Awareness Month in March, the National Blood Clot Alliance wants to hear from you! We’re asking our community members to create a video (maximum length: 3 minutes) about their blood clot experience, or the experience of a loved one, to help spread life-saving information about blood clots. The videos will be shared on @StoptheClot social media and website throughout March to highlight the many signs and symptoms that can be associated with a blood clot diagnosis.  

To help demonstrate this year’s theme that “anyBODY can get a blood clot,” we want to hear from as many people as we can! 

The video prompts and guidelines below can help to keep your message as focused and impactful as possible. Scroll down to read our best practices for shooting your BCAM video. To upload your video, use the submission form at the bottom of this page.

Thank you so much for participating! 

TO SHARE YOUR OWN BLOOD CLOT STORY

Please include this information:

• Primary signs/symptoms (if any) 
• Diagnosis (age when diagnosed, any misdiagnoses, and ultimate blood clot diagnosis) 
• Name and location.
• Tie in “anybody can get a blood clot” tagline 

Sample script to get you started: “I was only 23 years old when I began experiencing a sharp pain in my calf and was initially misdiagnosed with a pulled muscle. It wasn’t until two weeks later when I returned to the ER with significant swelling and discoloration in my leg that doctors checked for blood clots and I was finally diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis. I’m Amy from Cherry Hill, New Jersey and I’m proof that ANYBODY can get a blood clot.”

TO SHARE A LOVED ONE’S STORY

Please include this information: 

• Primary signs/symptoms (if any) that your loved one experienced 
• Diagnosis (age when loved one was diagnosed or experienced a blood clot, any misdiagnoses, and ultimate blood clot diagnosis) 
• Own name and location, name of loved one, relationship to them 
• Tie in “anybody can get a blood clot” tagline  

Sample script to get you started: “Hi, I’m Theresa from Denver, Colorado and in 2021 my husband Jesse had recently undergone a total knee replacement. He was recovering well and we were both so excited to enjoy our retirement and grandchildren together. He had been experiencing shortness of breath but we assumed it was due to his inactivity following the surgery. But three days later he collapsed and died at the age of 57 from a pulmonary embolism, or blood clot in his lungs. We had no idea that shortness of breath could be the sign of a blood clot, or that knee surgery could put an otherwise healthy person at risk. Please protect yourself and your loved ones by learning the risks, signs and symptoms at stoptheclot.org. After losing Jesse we now know that anybody can get a blood clot.”

BEST PRACTICES FOR FILMING 

• Backdrop and lighting: Film your video using a clean, visually appealing backdrop. For best results, shoot your video using natural lighting, or use an LED ring light.
• Camera setup: Ensure that your smartphone is straight, stable and set up in a vertical orientation.
• Audio: Shoot your video in a quiet location to reduce background noise.
• Clothing and appearance: If you have any Stop the Clot^® or NBCA gear, please wear it! If not, clothes without distracting patterns or visible brand tags are great.
• Tone: We want you to be authentic and show your personality. Remember, the script is just an example. Be sure to include the required information but otherwise, tell your story in whatever way feels most authentic to you.  
   

Questions? Contact: info@stoptheclot.org