Hello ForgeHub! As You All May or May Not Know, February 28th, 2013 is Rare Disease Day. It is the One Day Out of the Year that Millions of People Have a Voice to be Heard about Their Disease. And We Have a Chance to Listen. Me and my Mother Both Have a Rare Disease. She Has Chronic Inflammatory Demylenating Polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), and I Have Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSDS). If you or Someone You Know has a Rare Disease, then We Want to Hear Your Story! What Can You Do To Help? As of Now, All You Have to Do, Is Post On This Thread, " I Support Rare Disease Day" and You Can Post a Story You Have About Rare Diseases. The ForgeHub Owners are Currently Working on an Event for the 28th. What is Rare Disease Day? Rare Disease Day is an international advocacy day to bring widespread recognition of rare diseases as a global health challenge. The day is celebrated on the last day of February every year. In 2013, it will be observed on February 28th. Learn more about the History of Rare Disease Day, Past Successes or the Goals and Plans for this year. Anyone can be involved in Rare Disease Day and there are many suggested activities. The day has been established as a grassroots advocacy day and we encourage everyone to participate in some way! This website focuses on Rare Disease Day activities in the U.S. To learn what’s happening around the world, go to the global Rare Disease Day website at rarediseaseday.org. What is a Rare Disease? In the U.S., any disease affecting fewer than 200,000 people is considered rare. This definition comes from the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 and is slightly different from the definition used in Europe. There are nearly 7,000 rare diseases affecting nearly 30 million Americans. In other words, almost one in ten Americans are suffering from rare diseases. Besides dealing with their specific medical problems, people with rare diseases struggle to get a proper diagnosis, find information, and get treatment. The rarity of their conditions makes medical research more difficult.