Bruce Campbell: The Rare Warrior Who Refuses to Stop At Rare Diseases South Africa , we celebrate resilience, courage, and community, values personified by Bruce Campbell , a true Rare Warrior whose journey inspires both the rare disease community and the sporting world. A Life of Resilience Bruce’s battle with rare disease began at six years old when he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome , leaving him paralysed and on a ventilator. Against the odds, he learned to wal

I was twelve years old when I was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) . My dad had it, and with a 50% chance of passing it on, my family always knew it was something we needed to watch for. Still, nothing could have prepared us for how my life would unfold. A Childhood Marked by Tumours and Treatment My first MRI revealed a tumour growing on my vestibulocochlear nerve. I had just turned thirteen when I began my first twenty‑eight sessions of radiation . Within month

My name is Reshmie , and I live with multiple rare diseases. Over the years, I have faced thyroid cancer , undergone a splenectomy , and had a portion of my pancreas removed in a pancreatectomy . My medical challenges have been heavy, unpredictable, and often overwhelming—yet I am not alone as I continue fighting. Every day I remind myself: I am still here, and I am still going. What Does “Equity” Mean in My Story? For me, equity begins with simply being heard . The hardest p

When Victoria (Vixi)  was diagnosed at just 15 years old  with Behçet’s Disease , everything we thought we knew about her health changed. Behçet’s is a rare, complex inflammatory disorder that most doctors have never seen in their careers. But long before her diagnosis, her symptoms were already shaping her life. Early Signs No One Could Explain Since she was little, Vixi struggled with painful mouth ulcers. We were given many explanations such as stress, vitamin deficiencies

As the last‑born daughter of Thomas and Nombulelo Sidzamba, I, Zintle , never imagined how dramatically my life would change after being diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 4)  in 2015. SMA Type 4 is a rare genetic disorder that affects the nerve cells responsible for voluntary muscle movement, causing progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. Before the Diagnosis Before SMA entered my life, I was active, energetic, and constantly on the move — playing tennis, da

My name is Ruhan Adendorff , I’m 34 years old , and I have a rare condition called Sotos Syndrome . I want to share my story with the world to spread motivation, encouragement, and Sotos love to all my wonderful Sotos people across the globe. My Journey with Sotos Syndrome I was diagnosed with Sotos Syndrome when I was five years old . Growing up as a child with Sotos was not easy. In fact, it was very hard. At school I was bullied and made fun of. People would say things lik

From the moment Luke was born, he would scream and scream. All his milk would come back up, and he began to refuse the breast. We tried formula, but the same thing happened. He was hungry, would try to drink, then pull away and cry. I was told it was colic. I was told he was being “naughty” and that it was behavioural. I was told it was allergies. We saw a gastroenterologist when he was 14 months old, and she performed a scope that confirmed EoE. It is a delayed reaction alle

When Aiden was born, we had never heard of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). The condition causes severe blistering and shearing of the skin. Aiden’s first blisters appeared when he was just five days old. Our doctors here were at a loss. He was treated with antibiotics because they believed it was an infection. We eventually got an appointment with a specialist dermatologist when he was eight months old. A skin punch biopsy was taken from his hand, and that’s when the diagnosis of