This time of year you may start seeing posts about kiddos with diseases, disorders, and syndromes you have never heard of. Things like Kabuki, Smith-Kingsmore, KAT6A, 8p, CHARGE. What connects all of these names and why are we hearing about them now?
Well, February 28 is Rare Disease Day, a day when people try to raise awareness of diagnoses that are less common. The definition of a rare disease is one that affects less than 2,000 people worldwide. Although these diseases have a low incidence individually, in total there are over 300 million people affected by rare diseases which works out to be between 3.5% and 6.9% of the population. Of these millions of people, 72% are genetic conditions.
If you want to help support this community of people, join in on an event near you, learn a little bit more by reading about some diagnoses you haven’t heard of, or if you are able, make a donation to help further research and understanding about any of these conditions.
If your kiddo is one of these wonderfully unique people and you would like help to get them to achieve their greatest potential, reach out for an evaluation. Our therapists at Kid Physical have over 32 combined years experience offering specialized, holistic healthcare for children of all ages. Our top priority is providing support for both caregivers and children so that they can reach their highest potential.