Having a nosebleed is not pleasant, but, thankfully, for most of us, it is not a regular occurrence. However, Shannon Carey has endured them, and other instances of heavy bleeding, her entire life as she has a condition called Von Willebrand Disorder (VWD), which affects the bloodâs ability to clot. âI was first diagnosed with VWD as a baby, but didnât receive a full diagnosis until I was about seven due to the levels of it changing,â says the 21-year-old student. âI was diagnosed initially because when my older sister Aoife was a young child, she had bruising on her back which didnât seem normal and, after investigation, she was diagnosed with Platelet Defect Disorder, which is another blood disorder.