Highlighted by John Broughton
From The Struggle of Rare and Orphan Diseases by Grace Niewijk
Although each rare disease affects fewer than one in 1,000 individuals, they collectively affect one in every 10 Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. A select few — such as cystic fibrosis, ALS, and Huntington’s disease — have gained attention and research funding through mass awareness efforts and celebrity involvement, but most of the 7,000 known rare diseases remain completely unfamiliar to the general population and much of the medical community.