María Cecilia Foundation: improving the lives of families affected by childhood cancer
The María Cecilia Foundation was established in 1991 by a group of parents of children diagnosed with cancer. Through their experiences, they envisioned to give life to an organization that could help
Meeting the partners — Melanoma Patient Network Europe
Melanoma is a cancer starting in the pigment-producing cells of our body called melanocytes. The most common form of melanoma is skin melanoma. However, in rare cases, melanoma can also start in the
Natalí Dafne Flexer Foundation: helping children with cancer in Argentina for 25 years
Natalí developed cancer and died one year and three months after starting treatment, in July 1995. In her memory, her mother Edith created the Natalí Dafne Flexer Foundation (FNDF) to help children
Receiving a cancer diagnosis is always bad. But receiving a rare cancer diagnosis adds to the challenge.
Ocular melanoma is a rare form of melanoma and starts in the pigment-producing cells of the eye. About 6 out of a million people will be diagnosed with ocular melanoma every year, the large majority
Patient organizations can now register in Share4Rare!
In a global world in which relationships are built, grown and consolidated in digital environments, the active presence of patient organizations is key. In order to tackle this need, detected through
FEDER Rare Disease Information and Orientation Service (SIO): building bridges to improve the lives of the patients
For two decades, the Spanish Federation of Rare Diseases (FEDER) has been giving voice to more than 3 million people who live with a rare pathology in Spain. At the present time, the association
Pulseras Candela: boosting childhood cancer research since 2013
The Association Pulseras Candela was set in motion 7 years ago on the 8 th floor of Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital thanks to the unity, love and involvement of many families and
Share4Rare webinar VII: ‘Online Advocacy – Social Media & Valuable Tools’
Learnings In this webinar, Bettina Ryll, Gilliosa Spurrier-Bernard and Violeta Astratinei from the Melanoma Patient Network Europe will share learnings and best practices from their work in patient
First Consensus Meeting of the Melanoma Patient Network Europe: What does a uveal melanoma guideline have to cover?
First, what actually is uveal melanoma? ‘Uveal melanoma is a cancer that starts in the pigment-producing cells of the eye. It is one of the rare forms of melanoma as it only affects about 6 people out
When the sun is your enemy: Pol’s story
When Pol was only two months old, the first sunburn appeared on his face. Shortly after, similar injuries began to show, major burns in those areas of his body that were not protected by clothing
The role of social media on health communication
In the time since they first emerged in the early 2000s, social media have truly become the norm. Today they are widely used by individuals and businesses to communicate and stay connected; indeed
Asia, Latin America and Europe unite and acknowledge the need for a global strategy in the field of rare diseases
On October 19 th to 21 st, the APARDO summit joined together patient advocates from 17 countries around the world, and its goal was to share all the current worldwide rare disease scenarios and to