What is Rare?

Rare diseases are defined as rare when less than 250,000 Americans suffer from a specific disease.

Other Rare Disease Facts:

Over 7,000 rare diseases have been found.
1 out of every 10 Americans will be diagnosed with Rare Disease
30 percent of children with rare diseases won’t see theirh 5th birthday.
35 percent of deaths in the 1st year of life are due to rare diseases.
50 percent are children diagnosed.
Around 30 million people in the US are living with a rare disease

95 percent of rare diseases don’t have FDA approved treatments.
65 percent of rare diseases are associated with shorter life spans.
Rare diseases impact more people than cancer and AIDs combined.
80 percent of rare diseases have a genetic origin
Rare Disease Day is celebrated the last day in February.
Almost all pediatric cancers are considered rare diseases.