For those who are wondering what is Rare Disease Day? And why is it celebrated on the last day in February? The day and the cause actually compliment each other quite nicely.

For 2021, Rare Disease Day will be celebrated this Sunday, February 28.

Since the last day in February is a rare date on the calendar, this draws attention to the nature of rare conditions that affect thousands of people in our local communities according to Dakota News Now.

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The staff at Sanford Research are doing their part in helping to combat these rare diseases through their selfless work.

Ben Forred, of Sanford Research, talked with Dakota News Now about how one rare disease affects less than 200,000 people in the United States, but over 25 million Americans today are living with a rare disease.

“At Sanford Research, we have a centralized international rare disease patient registry, called CoRDS, where we coordinate the advancement of research into rare diseases,” said Ben Forred, director of CoRDS at Sanford Research. “We’re committed to advancing the research behind these diseases to improve the quality of life for those living with a rare disease”-Ben Forred told Dakota News Now.

To help raise awareness for Rare Disease Day in the Sioux Falls community, both the Arc of Dreams and Falls Park will be displaying Rare Disease Day colors of lights this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday.

If you are wondering what is considered a rare disease and other key figures associated with Rare Disease Day, visit Rare Disease Day's Website.

Source: Dakota News Now

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