Rare disease patients may struggle with the physical symptoms of their condition, but also the psychological burden of living with a disease that is poorly understood, often misdiagnosed, and has limited (or non-existent) treatment options.

For more than two decades, Michigan State University alumna Dani Lamb has battled the challenges of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a rare and often misunderstood chronic skin condition.

When E. Rose Schubert first noticed her hands swelling, she thought it was temporary inflammation.

Kathy Till never expected that in her early 70s, she would be thrust into a battle against a rare and life-threatening disease.

Tracy Evans never anticipated that a quiet medical history would spiral into a life-altering condition.

In June 2021, at just 28 years old, Katherine Green's life was upended by a diagnosis that defied expectations: myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare and serious blood disorder.