Patient Voices

While we may have enough clinical information about rare diseases, it is equally important to listen to the life stories of people with rare diseases. Life stories are patient voices of what it is like to live with a rare disease and face everyday challenges.

Patient voices chronicle their experiences and give us an idea of the nuances and many complexities of living with a rare disease. How do our communities react to people with rare diseases? Are they included in all life activities? How does family support enable and empower? What should our communities be doing for people with rare diseases? These are the many questions that life stories raise and it is interesting to see how each individual and his/her family and friends cope with the issue and support the person.

Patient voices are a symbol of courage and serves to inspire all of us to push beyond all boundaries to achieve the best we can with whatever limitations.