Rare Disease Day 2015

Image: RareDiseaseDay.org

On Saturday March 28th it is Rare Disease Day. Rare means that only a small minority of the public will have these specific illnesses, however the more that people are aware the easier these diseases will be to diagnose in the future. There are over 6000 different rare diseases to date affecting millions of people.

Rare diseases don't just solely affect an individual person, they affect an entire family. Awareness will help more than one person and this is why it means so much. When you are diagnosed with a rare illness its often difficult to process and more often than not, when something is diagnosed as rare it is much more difficult to treat. A rare disease often flips a typical world upside down. They have the ability to affect and drastically change your everyday life when you least expect.

For those of us who deal with rare illnesses/diseases, it can be a very daunting, isolating and frightening period in life. Any form of progression in your diseases is slower than most. Hospital appointments seem to fly through the letterbox, families are searching for doctors who specialise in specific medical fields to try to help and life changes drastically. During testing times with rare disease, you go through many emotions as you try to adjust to your new situation and diagnosis.

Awareness for rare diseases plays a vital key in all of our futures. It counts as a step towards things such as scientific research, better medical care plans, more knowledge for those in the medical profession, more frequent/quicker diagnosis, new procedures, specified support and care as well as giving these rare conditions the voice they so deserve.

There are so many people in this world fighting a rare disease, with incorrect or limited resources as well as a lack of understanding for their specific health issues. All these steps will eventually add up to a better quality of life for those suffering with rare disease.

Rare disease day is a day dedicated to awareness, in any way shape or form. If you have an illness and have become sick of people not understanding or knowing anything about your disease or just want to help the movement of understanding of these illnesses, then please get involved with the cause. Not only will it help you, it will be a form of helping others who are also in your situation.

So please, let your voice be heard. Whether this be raising money, telling others about rare illnesses, speaking of an illness on social media with a hashtag, getting involved with local events or even starting your own event. If you feel you are able to share a story about your illness or rare disease then please do so here; 

http://www.rarediseaseday.org/tell-your-story/
http://www.rarediseaseday.org/events/world

I also invite you to share below in the comments the name of your rare illness/disease as a way of spreading awareness and educating myself and others. 

Disclaimer - All views above are my own opinion. I have not been approached to do this piece of writing, I just feel it is a fitting subject to my own situation with rare chronic illness, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Mast Cell Activation Disorder