Join Medics4RareDiseases (M4RD) and #ShowYourStripes for Rare Disease Day on 29th February, the rarest day of the year. Getting involved is easy, simply dig out some stripey socks, pop them on and take a stripey, socky selfie. Photos will be proudly displayed on the M4RD’s Rare-A-Wear Online Gallery, with prizes for the biggest… the best… the most creative efforts. 

Approximately 3.5 million people in the UK live with a rare condition. Rare diseases are individually rare but collectively common. People impacted by rare conditions face similar challenges because of a lack of awareness about rare disease. They commonly report that they want to feel listened to and believed by healthcare professionals and involved in their care. This is where you can help. Show you care and help spread awareness this Rare Disease Day. 

How to get Involved 

Wear your stripes any which way you can. You could wear stripey socks under your scrubs, jeans or trousers or over your tights. You could tuck them into your shirt pocket or tie them on your bag. If socks aren’t your thing just wear a stripey top, hat or scarf. Anything goes as long as it’s stripey… be as creative as you like! 

Get on the gallery 

Your pictures will be displayed with pride on M4RD’s 2024 Rare-A-Wear Online Gallery. So be sure to capture snaps of your stripey efforts and post with the hashtags #ShowYourStripes and #RareDiseaseDay and tag us @Medics4RareDiseases. Or you can email us your pic to eleanor@m4rd.org.

This leap year… Nominate your #RareAlly 

All raring to go with your stripey socks washed and pressed for the big day? We’d like to ask those of you who took part last year to go one step further this Rare Disease Day. Mark the leap year by nominating a colleague to share the #ShowYourStripes message. Capture photo evidence and post with the additional #RareAlly. There will be a prize for the best #RareAlly pic. 

Why the stripes? 

People with rare conditions often refer to themselves as ‘zebras’, thanks to the old medical adage ‘when you hear hooves, think horse, not zebra’! This still impacts clinical decision making and contributes to diagnostic delay in rare diseases. So show your stripes to raise awareness for the stripey zebras out there. 

About Medics4RareDiseases 

Medics4RareDiseases (M4RD) is a registered charity committed to providing and promoting rare disease education for medical professionals, students, and doctors in training, with the primary goal of helping improve the journey through healthcare for people living with rare diseases, in order to achieve an earlier diagnosis. m4rd.org

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