The National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) hosted a landmark dinner last night in Jacksonville, FL to honor the leadership of state Senator Clay Yarborough and Representative Dean Black in championing the Emily Adkins Family Prevention Act, passed in July 2025. This legislation marks a transformative moment in the fight against blood clots, one of the nation’s leading, yet preventable, causes of death.
The evening brought together patients, families of those lost to blood clots, clinicians, industry leaders, and legislators in a powerful show of unity. In attendance were Doug, Janet, and Douglas Adkins, the family of Emily Adkins, whose life and legacy inspired the law now bearing her name.
“Last night marked an additional historic moment as patients, family members of loved ones lost to blood clots, clinicians, industry leaders, and legislators all came together under one roof to applaud the passage of this bill,” said Leslie Lake, Volunteer President of NBCA and a pulmonary embolism survivor herself.
The Emily Adkins Family Prevention Act sets the foundation for expanded public awareness, clinician education, and access to prevention across Florida, offering a model that other states can replicate to protect lives.
During the event, Lake issued a call to action:
- Urging other states to follow Florida’s lead and enact lifesaving blood clot legislation
- Calling on HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to make blood clot prevention a national priority within his department and broader public health efforts
“Senator Yarborough and Representative Black have given a voice to families affected by blood clots and created a pathway to greater prevention,” Lake stated. “With the Adkins family at the heart of this fight, their loss has been transformed into a legacy of hope. Now, we call on states across the country and on Secretary Kennedy to carry this momentum forward so that no family suffers needlessly.”
Each year, more than 900,000 Americans are affected by blood clots, and up to 100,000 lives are lost. NBCA reaffirmed its commitment to elevate prevention, awareness, policy, and research as urgent national imperatives.
The National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) is the leading nonprofit, patient-led organization in the United States dedicated to improving prevention, early diagnosis, and effective treatment of blood clots. NBCA works to save lives by increasing public awareness of signs and symptoms, advancing prevention strategies, empowering patients and families with resources and support, and driving policy and research to close gaps in care.
