The Bleeding Disorders Association of South Carolina sets aside funds generated by fundraisers each year to provide financial support for college scholarships. To be considered for a BDASC Scholarship, an applicant must meet the following criteria:1. Must be a resident of South Carolina; 2. Must be enrolled or accepted at an accredited educational institution, to include accredited colleges, universities, and technical and vocational schools; 3. Must have a diagnosis of a bleeding disorder; or be a dependent child of a person with a bleeding disorder; be a sibling of a person with a bleeding disorder; be a parent of a dependent child with a bleeding disorder; or be a spouse of someone with a bleeding disorder.
Applications must be completed and received before the deadline dates. The Chapter will determine each year how many scholarships to award depending on funds received within each year and the number of qualified applications received. In addition, three special scholarships will be awarded each year described below.
John Henry Tiller
March 16, 1962- May 31, 2022
John H. Tiller, 60, beloved husband to Dana R. Tiller and dear friend to those whose lives he touched, passed away on May 31, 2022 in Mt. Pleasant, SC surrounded by his loving family. John was born in Georgetown, SC where he spent most his childhood and made fond memories with lifelong friends and cousins. He attended Winyah High School, College of Charleston, and the University of South Carolina School of Law. He began his legal career with Sinkler & Boyd, a predecessor firm of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, in 1987. He was recognized for his leadership. John was an enthusiastic outdoors man who loved spending time playing golf, boating, fishing, and hunting with friends, including his lifelong friend and cousin, Bradley Tiller. His history with the chapter dates to its inception as he and his wife Dana have been very devoted to our mission and members. John also served as legal counsel to the Chapter many years ago. Upon his passing, John has bequeathed funds to the organization that will allow us to continue to support the South Carolina Community. We are thankful for his and Dana’s devotion to Bleeding Disorders Association of South Carolina. We will forever have he and his family in our hearts. John and Dana supported our STEP Walk for Bleeding Disorders each year from the first year of its inception, and has contributed in donations throughout each year. A pre-eminent trial attorney and mediator, John was held in the highest regards by his clients, the judiciary, and other layers, both plaintiff and defense. His success was evident in the number of recognitions bestowed upon him by numerous legal publication and organizations. He was named “South Carolina Litigator of the Year” in 2012 and received numerous other prestigious awards throughout his career. John is survived by his loving wife of thirty- three years, Dana and numerous godchildren, nephews, nieces, and cousins, all whom gave him great joy. In addition to his death. John was preceded in death by his brother, George Edwin Tiller, Jr.
Dr. Alba Myers Lewis of Orangeburg was a retired educator, and mother to son, Alexander “Mickey” Carrion Lewis, Jr. who was born with hemophilia. After graduating first in her class with a B.S. degree in education from S.C. State in 1946, she went on to receive the M.S. degree in education in 1952. As an undergraduate student, she reigned as both May Queen and Miss South Carolina State College. In 1968, Dr. Lewis earned the Doctorate of Education from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, during an era when this was achieved by very few African American women. Throughout her academic career she specialized in Curriculum Development, Administration, Supervision, Higher Education, Elementary Education and Sociology. She did additional study at Claflin University, New York University, the University of Northern Iowa, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and the University of North Carolina. She was certified in the state of South Carolina at all educational levels: elementary school teaching, supervision and administration, and social studies. Dr. Lewis served as a supervising teacher at her beloved Felton Laboratory School 1950-1964. She then became the Associate Supervisor of Directed Teaching at S.C. State from 1968 until 1970, at which time she returned to Felton as its director, serving in that capacity from 1970 until 1971. For the next eight years she was chairperson and professor in the Department of Education, retiring in 1979. She proudly accepted an appointment by then-Governor Richard Riley to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education in 1980 and served until 1988. In 1965, she served on the Governor’s Task Force on Education. Upon her passing, in her will she named Hemophilia of South Carolina as a beneficiary. In her honor, and with love for education, the Chapter has named the Alba Myers Lewis Scholarship in appreciation for her memorial gift.
2022 Award Recipient:Regan Weber
Home town: Greenville, SC
Parents: Matthew and Maranda Weber
High School: Mauldin High School
Graduated: 2022
Institution: Clemson University
Major or intended field of study: Modern Languages (French)
Essay Quote: “Hemophilia has taught me to be understanding of people, because there’s no way of knowing what’s going on in their lives. For instance, [my brother] Jack is an average middle school boy. He plays all the sports that he enjoys, climbs all the trees he sees, and doesn’t let hemophilia hold him back. People would never guess that he has hemophilia because he can do anything someone without hemophilia can.”
Recipient: Devon Mulligan
Home town: Mount Pleasant, SC
Parents: Michael and Dianna Mulligan
High School: Academic Magnet High School
Graduated: 2021
Institution: University of Alabama (current sophomore)
Major or intended field of study: Marketing and finance
Essay Quote: “If living with a hemophiliac has taught me anything, it is that they are capable of anything and everything. My brother may be a hemophiliac, but that has never once defined who he is or will be. He is brilliant, tenacious, and driven, an honor roll student, a soccer prodigy, and yes a hemophiliac…Through Connor I find the strength in myself to be relentlessly driven, strive for greatness, and push beyond my limits. And it is because he has only ever had the courage to do the same.”
Mark Asbury Eichelberger Memorial ScholarshipMark Asbury Eichelberger of Columbia, SC, 52, passed away on December 4, 2020 and was the son of Hattie Eichelberger Brown and the late William Asbury Eichelberger. Mark was a high school graduate of Calhoun Academy and then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from USC. He was proud to support Hemophilia of South Carolina, serving in multiple capacities including president, vice president, as well as being a member of the board of directors for many years. He was known for many things; his love of Gamecock football, his sense of humor and outgoing personality, but his most defining quality was his selflessness. Mark had the biggest heart and would do anything for anyone. Mark, and his significant other of 25 years Cris Tucker (the Chapter’s treasurer for many years), served the Chapter for most of their adult lives as board members and volunteers. Mark and his family were involved in the Chapter from the time Mark was a young boy. His parents, along with the Fisher’s, started the Chapter in 1973. His father William Eichelberger was the very first president. Mark attended camp which the Chapter began for our state when there was no camp for children with hemophilia. His devotion to the Chapter and the South Carolina community affected by bleeding disorders will never be forgotten and we owe a debt of gratitude for his services to our community. His blood brothers are grieving the loss of their fellow brother. We miss Mark and will always remember him in our hearts. This year’s Mark Asbury Eichelberger Scholarship is being provided by the generous donations to the Chapter in his honor.
Sarah Beth Walden
Home town: Buffalo, SC
Parents: Mike and Kim Walden
High School: Union County High School
Graduated: 2022
Institution: Winthrop University
Major or intended field of study: exercise science/athletic training
Essay Quote: [On her new diagnosis] “My family and I attended many of the South Carolina bleeding disorder conventions and, after hearing other stories, we decided that the best approach for us was to allow me to determine my own limits and for us to create our own plan on how we choose to deal with the effects of my bleeding disorder.”
Bleeding Disorders Association of South Carolina is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and a chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation and a member organization of Hemophilia Federation of America.
See our brochure (PDF) to learn more: DOWNLOAD
Copyright © 2023 Bleeding Disorders Association of South Carolina. All Rights Reserved.
