Month: December 2021

Light Up for Rare

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The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) asks Americans to plan ahead to participate in the Light Up for Rare campaign to raise awareness of rare diseases.

NORD is the U.S. sponsor for  Rare Disease Day  on Feb. 28. The annual awareness day spotlights approximately 7,000 rare diseases that affect more than 300 million people worldwide. More than 25 million Americans and their families are believed to be affected by rare diseases.

Participants are encouraged to light or decorate their homes in blue, green, pink, and purple at 7 p.m. local time on Feb. 28. (Blue should be used if only one color is possible.) NORD suggests using NovaBright to light up a building, monument, home, or neighborhood in these rare disease colors.

To join the Light Up for Rare campaign, sign up here. Participants should complete the applications required by the landmarks they pledge to light up, which could include historic buildings and homes, schools and universities, businesses, stadiums, bridges, and monuments. A downloadable template request is available to ask cities and buildings to participate in the initiative.

Once requests are approved, participants should inform NORD so the organization can track the buildings that will be illuminated for Rare Disease Day.

Light Up for Rare is part of the Global Chain of Lights campaign, which aims to unite the rare disease community across the globe and symbolically break the isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The European Organization for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS), NORD’s counterpart in Europe, is coordinating the Feb. 28 awareness day there along with several patient advocacy groups. On leap years, Rare Disease Day falls on Feb. 29, the rarest day of the year.

Download the Light Up for Rare toolkit here. Information on how to illuminate a building can be found here. 

The general public, as well as caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and industry representatives are encouraged to participate in Rare Disease Day advocacy and events. Other toolkits and resources for Rare Disease Day are available here.

After buildings and landmarks are lit up in Rare Disease Day colors, participants are encouraged to share photos and videos on social media. Please use the #RareDiseaseDay and #ShowYourStripes hashtags so the efforts can be spotlighted.

More information at https://rarediseases.org/rare-disease-day/rare-disease-day-light-up-for-rare/

Record a Video and Receive Rarity the Zebra!

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Please help us spread the word to other patients and caregivers about Rare Patient Voice by submitting a short video about your experience with us. Using the Storyvine app, recording a video on your phone is quick, easy, and fun! Videos will be featured on our website, on social media, and in newsletters.

Check out and join the growing group of RPV patients and caregivers who have recorded stories! https://rarepatientvoice.com#sharevoice

Follow these steps to record and submit your own video!

Step 1: Scan with code below with the camera app from your Apple/Android mobile device or click the link below!

https://admin.storyvine.com/app_users/sign_up/Sharing_My_Voice

Step 2: Download the Storyvine app from the App Store or Google Play

Step 3: Film and upload your video!

To thank you for recording a video, we will send you a Rarity zebra plushie AND enter you in a raffle to win a $100 Amazon gift card. Congratulations to Stacy of South Carolina, our December 1 raffle winner! Our next raffle will be held in early January.

👥 Register for Rare Disease Week

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We are thrilled to invite you to join us and hundreds of others virtually for Rare Disease Week on Capitol Hill from February 22nd to March 2nd, for a week that can change your life. In 2022 advocates will once again have the opportunity to participate in the Points for Advocacy Scavenger Hunt and the EveryLife Foundation will award a total of $100,000 to the top-50 point earners’ rare disease non-profit organization of choice!

Over the last 11 years, thousands of rare disease patients, family members, friends, and health care providers have joined together to give rare disease patients a voice on Capitol Hill. Meeting virtually during the pandemic has not slowed us down but has reenergized many of us on the importance of our advocacy work.

Both of our first times attending Rare Disease Week, Sarah in 2017 and Sarita in 2021, sparked our passion for advocacy!  We hope that you will join us for Rare Disease Week which brings the community together to learn, network and advocate.
Please reach out to RDLA staff Katelyn Laws at klaws@everylifefoundation.org if you have any questions or need more information.