Every color tells a story, and we want to hear yours — the stories that offer fresh perspectives, inspire hope in the community, connect unexpected ideas, or simply resonate with you on a personal level.
For Rare Disease Day this February, you’ll find a curation of those stories here — The Rare Moments. Patients, families, researchers, and those dedicated to advancing rare disease treatments will be using this space to share their rare stories. From past experiences with lysosomal diseases to significant highlights of the 2025 Rare Disease Day, and even hopes for the future, you will find diverse and valuable insights that matter to our community and expand our understanding of what it means to live with and work with rare diseases.
Be sure to check back regularly throughout the month for the latest posts, and don’t forget to submit your colorful Rare Moments!
See what’s been sharedThank you for sharing and reading this curation from our rare disease community!
We’re excited to relaunch Rare Moments—a space to share updates, events, and resources throughout the month of February. Join us in amplifying voices and stay connected by bookmarking the page!
I had such a fulfilling experience visiting my members of Congress as part of Rare Disease Week on Capitol Hill. My fellow advocates and I raised our voices to encourage their support of policies that benefit rare disease patients. Hearing everyone’s stories was so inspiring.
We are proud to support and bring awareness to Triple Negative Breast Cancer Day which was yesterday, March 3rd. Individuals in the United States have a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer and TNBC accounts for 10-25% of those breast cancers. Me and many others at Worldwide are excited to take part in the many events occurring throughout March that bring awareness to this disease. Please join us at any of the highlighted events listed below.
tnbcfoundation.org
www.linkedin.comCheck out the Minnesota Twins’ Target Field lit up for Rare Disease Day!
In celebration of Rare Disease Day, I am excited to share our most recent draft class from the 2024 Young Investigator Draft! This year we highlighted the significant potential of research in this space when powered by the platform of sports—especially as we surpassed our $1 million in total funding granted. You can watch a recap of the event at the below link!
www.youtube.comWhen my daughter was diagnosed with WAGR syndrome, none of the doctors that were treating my daughter knew anything about WAGR. Since that time, I’ve dedicated my time and energy to advocate for my daughter, spreading awareness of WAGR throughout my local and the international communities.
Wagr.orgRare diseases affect hundreds of millions of people globally, presenting a massive challenge to health equity. Our team is focused on changing that sad reality for patients across many therapeutic areas. From rare cancers such as the one that took my sweet cousin Ryan last year to rare cardiovascular diseases, I’m proud of how hard our teams work every single day to improve the standard of care for rare disease patients. Their passionate and purposeful commitment to saving and improving lives is not just a job; it’s creating meaningful change for our loved ones, their caregivers, and for humanity as a whole.
Jim Geraghty said it best today at the 9th Annual Rare Disease Day Event at the Broad Institute. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” when it comes to rare disease research. Always a science-focused and inspiring event at the Broad!
The Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation is excited to celebrate Rare Disease Day 2024! You can learn more about Phelan-McDermid Syndrome by reviewing our infographic and by visiting our website at pmsf.org.

PMSF.org