Rare Disease Day 2024 - Light Up For Rare

On a blue background, text reads: "29 Feb 2024. Rare Disease Day. Share Your Colours." Next to the text is the Rare Disease Logo and a multicoloured illustration of a globe with a photo collage of people of different ethnicities from around the world.

Rare Disease Day is the globally-coordinated movement on rare diseases, working towards equity in social opportunity, healthcare, and access to diagnosis and therapies for people living with a rare disease. It takes place on 29 February – the rarest day of the year!

This year, they are inviting all of us in the rare disease community to join a Global Chain of Lights. Together we will light up our monuments, our public spaces, our buildings, homes, hospitals and more. These lights show our resilience and strength towards a brighter future. Collectively, we can improve the lives of the 300 million people worldwide living with a rare disease.

Read on to find out more about the #LightUpForRare campaign and how you can get involved.

Purple for Porphyria

On a purple background, a photo collage of civic buildings lit up in purple.The BPA has arranged for several landmarks across the UK to be lit up in #PurpleForPorphyria as part of the global Rare Disease Day campaign to #LightUpForRare and raise awareness of rare disease – is your local landmark on the list?

  • Mid Ulster Council Buildings, Northern Ireland
  • Newport Civic Centre Clock Tower, Wales
  • Norwich Castle, England
  • Nottingham Council House, England
  • University of Birmingham Clock Tower (Old Joe), England

If you spot your iconic neighbourhood buildings lit up, make sure to take a picture and tag us in it on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram!

Want to add your local landmark to the list? Visit the Rare Disease Day website for more information.

Join the Global Chain of Lights

A photo collage of people showing their homes lit up and decorate with different colours to raise awareness of rare disease. Text reads "Rare Disease Day. Global Chain of Lights."You can also join the Global Chain of Lights by lighting or decorating your home with purple for porphyria, or the Rare Disease Day colours, at 7pm on 29 February.

You can use garlands, social media filters, candles, disco lamps, colourful decorations… Let your creativity shine and #ShareYourColours!

Then, take a picture of yourself with the illuminations or decorations you chose and publish it on your social media using the Rare Disease Day Global Chain of Light filters and the #LightUpForRare and #PurpleForPorphyria hashtags.

 

Visit the Rare Disease Day website to download your #LightUpForRare toolkit and browse more resources and information on how to join the Global Chain of Lights.