“Rare” diseases are those that impact fewer than 200,000 people in the United States (Cleveland Clinic). Yet 10,000 rare diseases in the US alone, many of which are life-threatening, affect over 25 million people per year. Roughly half of these individuals are children (FDA).

But 25 million lives annually hanging in the balance is not incentivizing enough for companies and organizations to conduct lifesaving research. There are not enough candidates for testing, and often, even if treatments exist, they will be discontinued since there are very few people who take advantage of them (FDA). Society is giving up on millions of lives, simply because it’s not lucrative enough.

On the other hand, rare disease nonprofits are working against this apathy: providing support, education and guidance to families impacted by these conditions and carrying out critical research to find a long-term solution. Unfortunately, they are often underfunded (Beacon) — making it difficult to extend these vital treatments to those who are desperately in need of them.

But today, you have the ability to change that. With even the smallest donation, you can be part of the effort to improve, extend, and save lives. Because everyone deserves to be valued, seen, and lifted up.