This year’s theme for Rare Disease Day is “Rare Disorders Without Borders.” It shows that rare diseases are a global issue, and if we work together in solidarity, we can create a better world for patients. Recently, we asked individuals on the Rare Disease Day US Facebook page what “Rare Disorders Without Borders” meant to them and we were really touched by some of the answers.

• Jeff: “It means hope. It means not feeling as alone. It means more open doors. It can mean the difference in getting to the cure for AHC and so many other rare diseases!”
• Danielle: “Rare Diseases can happen to any race, sex, culture, age, economic status. To any State, City, Continent, Country, and Providence.”
• Lisa: “I hope it means sharing. My disease had available treatments in Europe for nearly 30 years before we finally got it here.”
• Paula: “’Without Borders” means the removal of ALL borders–geographical, cultural, linguistic, gender, age, and, perhaps most importantly, between those with rare disorders and those without. To put it simply, it means people reaching out to people. ”
• Dan: “Sharing with others who have experienced difficulty explaining their illness to others, sharing about how we can do things together that we can’t do alone. ”
• Scouter Betty: “That’s especially awesome here in America- the world’s melting pot! ”
• Carrie: “To me it means each of us should advocate for ourselves… creating a path of awareness and understanding. Our path is small and might only educate a small amount of people, but eventually our small path with cross with another and another – soon our interconnecting paths will be like a web, covering the entire globe. As our paths continue to meet up with others’ advocating for themselves we can join with them and the paths become a little bigger, a little wider… we shouldn’t wait for someone else to start a movement to join. We have to move and eventually our movements will come together. ”
• Sarah: “Rare disorders without borders = 30 mummies coming together from around the world with kiddies with CDKL5 all meeting in NYC on 28/02/13 for the first time……together we are stronger!
• Pam: “It means watching my niece become one of the strongest women I know as she cares for her son. It also means MANY strong people who just take it a day, an hour, a minute at a time, no matter where they are”
• Aunti: “ Sometimes it means not explaining, OR being silent – rather just being. ”
• FMD Chat: “For us it means connecting fibromuscular dysplasia patients around the world using social media!”

Please share what “Rare Disorders Without Borders” means to you in the comments below.