City Hall lit up for Rare Disease Day
Friday, Feb. 27 marks International Rare Disease Day, celebrated worldwide, and Iceland will be no exception. The day aims to raise public and government awareness about rare diseases and their impact on patients and their families.
The organization Unique Children (Einstök börn) leads an awareness campaign called Glittering February to promote the organization's mission. For this occasion, City Hall is lit up in the organization's colors — purple, green, blue and pink — for Rare Disease Day, which Iceland has celebrated since 2008.
A conference took place yesterday, and today, Friday, Feb. 27, various buildings throughout the country are lit up in these the organization's colors. Tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 28, Unique Children will provide education at Kringlan shopping center about rare diseases and rare syndromes.
Unique Children is a support organization for children and young people with rare diseases or rare syndromes. The organization was founded in 1997 by parents of several children with extremely rare diseases or extremely rare syndromes who had no common ground with other support and advocacy organizations. All diseases and disabilities that children and young people supported by Unique Children live with are chronic and have permanent effects on their lives and families.
All work at Unique Children is volunteer-based, except for the organization's executive director and family counselor, who work full time.