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Explore every episode of the podcast The Rare Disease Podcast

Dive into the complete episode list for The Rare Disease Podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
How guidelines have the potential to confuse people, and why!17 Oct 202400:35:33

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week's episode of the podcast, Lucy speaks with Grace Knight, who is one of our ambassadors working as a junior doctor and is back for her second podcast with us. She got involved with M4RD when her brother was diagnosed with a rare disease, which changed her perspective of diagnosis and patient experience.

Lucy and Grace talk through the NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) guidelines and discuss what has already been changed and what could be changed.

If you would like to listen to Grace's original episode, search 'Dr Grace, brother Eddie, Addison's Disease and ED'.

If you would like to download the handbook 'Mind the Gap - A handbook of clinical signs in Black and Brown skin', you can do so here https://www.blackandbrownskin.co.uk/mindthegap 

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Mental health and victim blaming at work10 Oct 202400:33:50

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week's episode of the podcast, and to highlight Mental Health Awareness Day, our guest is Kym Winter, the CEO from Rareminds.

Rareminds is the first specialist, non profit, rare disease counselling and psychotherapy service in the UK (and possibly globally). The team has been providing online counselling and wellbeing services for rare disease charities since 2014.

Kym and Lucy chat about mental health and victim blaming at work.

To take part in the Rare Disease and Mental Health module mentioned in the podcast, head to M4RD Learn.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Rare Disease 101 with Lucy McKay from the RSM 202418 Apr 202400:34:20

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

3.5 million people in the UK live with a rare condition, which is a global point prevalence of 3.5 to 5.9%. In the UK that number equates to approximately the number of adults living with asthma.

For this week's episode of the podcast we listen back to Lucy's Rare Disease 101 talk from the RSM in February 2024.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Think Ammonia with Metabolic Support UK11 Apr 202400:59:46

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week’s episode of the podcast, Lucy chats to Jonathan Gibson who works as the Policy and Public Affairs Officer for Metabolic Support UK. 

His background is in genetics and global health and he’s also worked for the NHS within a busy biomedical science laboratory for over four years undertaking the analysis of samples to ensure you receive the right treatment and diagnosis.

Within MS UK activist and key partner with communities to elicit change, utilising policy, data and research to develop creative campaigns with measurable goals to ensure action is taken to improve the lives of people living with inherited metabolic disorders.

If you would like to find out more about Metabolic Support UK, check out their website https://metabolicsupportuk.org/who-we-are/



Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

M4RD x Big Bang Theory with our Patient Ambassador Daval04 Apr 202400:51:29

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week's episode of the podcast, Lucy is joined by Daval Amratlal, who is one of our patient ambassadors and has a rare skin condition called Autosomal Recessive Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex. EBS is a rare skin condition where blistering is caused by trauma to the skin. 

Daval graduated in 2021 with a BSc in physics with space science and started an MSc in Planetary Science in September 2023 at UCL. With a passion for science communication, making science more accessible to the general public, Daval has joined Medics for Rare Diseases as an ambassador to raise awareness of EBS, not just in the medical field, but also in the general public. Lucy and Daval discuss what happened to Pluto, best quotes from Jurassic Park and rare skin disorders.

Daval works with the charity, DEBRA UK, in an effort to improve the quality of life of not just patients with EB, but also people living with other rare conditions.

If you would like to learn more about DEBRA UK, you can visit their website here

https://www.debra.org.uk/

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Words Matter with Jono Lancaster from The Unusual Suspects 202428 Mar 202400:20:07

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

It's been 10 years since Medics4RareDiseases first hosted The Unusual Suspects at The Royal Society of Medicine in association with the Medical Genetics section. It's amazing to see how far we have come over the years!

This year, we had a varied line-up of speakers that gave thought provoking talks throughout the afternoon and one of them was public speaker and author Jono Lancaster, who has Treacher Collins Syndrome and recently sold out Waterstones Picadilly with his book 'Not All Heroes Wear Capes'.

Listen back to Jono's inspirational talk now.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

My son with PTEN with Kelly Kearley from PTEN UKI21 Mar 202401:10:07

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week's episode of the podcast, Lucy chats with Kelly Kearley who is the charity manager for PTEN UKI.

Kelly's son Austin was diagnosed with P10 harmatoma tumour syndrome.  Hamatoma Tumor Syndrome, or often shortened to P10, is a rare genetic condition. And it causes multiple cancers in adulthood and autism in childhood.

You can find out more about PTEN UKI by visiting their website https://ptenuki.org/

More information about Cerebra, also mentioned in this podcast can be found here https://cerebra.org.uk/

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Think Rare, Think Genetics with Bonnie Jackson14 Mar 202400:50:36

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week's episode of the podcast, Lucy speaks with Bonnie Jackson who is the London Regional Coordinator at Annabelle’s Challenge Vascular EDS Charity, who are the leading charity for Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in the UK.

Her daughter Mia was diagnosed with Vascular EDS in August 2021 after 7 years. Mia is now 9 years old and in 18 months both her and the charity have raised over £62,000.00 for Vascular EDS research and support, with lots more events in the pipeline. 

Bonnie shares her journey so far and how she has been supported by Annabelle's Challenge Vascular EDS Charity.



Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Baroness Nicola Blackwood on Politics and Patient Care07 Mar 202400:52:33

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Welcome to the brand new season of the The Rare Disease Podcast for Medics! To kick off the season, we have the wonderful Baroness Nicola Blackwood who speaks to us all about Ehlers-Danlos, patient care and her work in politics.

Nicola is a leader in science and entrepreneurship. She is a member of the House of Lords and Chair of Genomics England and Oxford University Innovation. Nicola is also a board member of the biotechnology company BioNTech.  

Nicola served as Minister for Innovation in the Department of Health and Social Care under two prime ministers, where she led on life sciences, NHS data and digital transformation, and global health security.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Special Episode: Hope Russell-Winter from The Voice UK26 Jan 202401:05:13

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

This week's episode is a special one-off episode before the launch of Season 6 this March!

Lucy speaks with our ambassador Hope Russell-Winter who was a recent runner up on The Voice UK! Hope tells us all about her experience with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1, her time on the Voice UK and why she is an ambassador for M4RD.

Hope will be performing at  The Social in London on March 7th, please visit her social media for tickets.

https://www.instagram.com/hopewintermusic/?hl=en-gb

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

How a medical student saved my life and my experience of Addison's Disease with Corrinne Hepworth09 Nov 202300:45:34

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For the last podcast episode of the season and the last episode Mel will be featuring on as a host - Mel spoke with Corrinne Hepworth who is an M4RD ambassador - who was also diagnosed with Addison's disease.

Addison's Disease is a rare and life threatening form of adrenal insufficiency.  Corrinne's diagnosis was due to a medical student that noticed symptoms on Corrinne's body -which stresses the importance of always being rare aware!

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

What exactly is Newborn Screening? 30 Oct 202300:39:55

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this year's episode of the podcast Lucy speaks with a panel at this years Rare Summit all about The NHS Newborn Screening Programme - what is it and how is it evolving?

Joining Lucy is Dr David Elliman, the Clinical Advisor for the Newborn Screening Commitee and the Blood Spot Task Group, Giles Lomax, CEO of SMA UK and Nick Mead, Director for Policy at Genetic Alliance.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

She said I had Becker Muscular Dystrophy - it was like a grenade going off03 Oct 202400:33:30

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week’s episode of the podcast, Lucy speaks with our ambassador Dr Beth Meek and singer/songwriter David Hick who were both recently featured with M4RD in The British Medical Association’s magazine ‘The Doctor’.

You can listen to David’s track ‘The Light’ featuring his friend Jo Logue, who also has Becker MD, at the end of the podcast. Or to hear more from David, search ‘David & the Devil’ on Spotify.

Read the full article discussed in this episode here 

https://thedoctor.bma.org.uk/articles/health-society/finding-the-zebra/


Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

The Rare Youth Monologues - USA Edition25 Oct 202300:54:27

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week's episode of the podcast, we hear from Courtney, Evan and Jessie as they give their Rare Youth Monologues with Lucy. 

Hear their inspiring stories and listen afterwards to a great discussion about the process with our host Lucy McKay.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

What's it like working for a rare disease charity? with Rick Thompson11 Oct 202301:03:42

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week's episode of the podcast, Lucy speaks with Rick Thompson who is the CEO of the charity Beacon for Rare Diseases.

He was the charity's third member of staff until he was promoted in 2017 and has written articles, given talks and provided training across the European rare disease community.

Beacon also works together with Medics4RareDiseases on the Student Voice Prize which is open for entries until November 15th 2023. Rick chats to Lucy about the history behind Beacon, what its like working for a rare disease charity and what drives him to work for the charity.

You can find out more about Beacon by visiting their website at https://www.rarebeacon.org/

Find out more about The Student Voice Prize by visiting https://www.rarebeacon.org/student-voice-prizes/the-student-voice-prize-2023/

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

MPS Hunter Syndrome with Daniella Vandepeer05 Oct 202300:30:15

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week's episode of the podcast, we're joined by Daniella Vandepeer, who is a mother to Caleb who has a diagnosis of MPS II Hunter Syndrome. 

Daniella is also currently busy furthering her career and studying nursing and midwifery.  She has a wealth of experience and expertise and has also previously worked in HIV advocacy and has served as a trustee for the MPS Society.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

ALK-Positive Lung Cancer and Me with Debra Montague28 Sep 202300:45:32

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this episode of the podcast, Melissa spoke with Debra Montague, founder of the ALK Positive UK charity.

Deborah is also a survivor of ALK Positive lung cancer and spoke with Melissa about the misconceptions surrounding it and her experiences.

ALK Positive lung cancer is a rare lung cancer and the majority of people who are diagnosed with it are non-smokers. Half of them are also under the age of 50.


Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Young-Onset Parkinson's - a laughing matter?21 Sep 202300:50:31

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

You gotta fight for your right to PARKY!

Phil is an amateur stand-up comedian from Birmingham who was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 36. Phil shares the lighter and more ridiculous parts of his condition through his comedy and regularly performs gigs around the country.

Phil chats to Lucy about his diagnosis, what it's like to have Young-Onset Parkinson's and his passion for comedy.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Melbourne to Manchester - a clinical trial story14 Sep 202300:52:04

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

 Today's episode of the podcast is a special one as Lucy is joined by an old friend of hers, Xanthe Whittaker. Xanthe is a university lecturer and Mum to Jackson who passed away in May, 2014. They came into each other's lives when Lucy was a teenager through her son Jackson, who lived with a rare metabolic condition called MPS II or Hunter Syndrome. Xanthe and Jackson's story of how they came to be in the UK is extraordinary and really exemplifies the strength and courage and tenacity of families who live with rare conditions.

This particular episode of the podcast is dedicated to the memories of Jackson Whitaker and Professor Ed Wraith. Both of them were unique and wonderful characters and inspired much of the work at Medics4RareDiseases. 

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

In the shoes of a Clinical Nurse Specialist with Tanya Gill 07 Sep 202301:07:22

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week's episode Lucy is speaking with Tanya Gill, who has just started a new role as a pediatric matron for surgical services at a hospital in London. 

However, her majority of experience has been as a clinical nurse specialist in a metabolic service for children. Tanya is passionate about breaking down the barriers in the medical world, so has a lot in common with Medics 4 Rare Diseases.

We discover more about her experience over the years and what expected of a Clinical Nurse Specialist.



Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Rareminds – Let's talk about mental health with Kym Winter04 May 202300:51:32

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Melissa is joined by Kym Winters, the founder of charity organisation Rareminds and psychotherapist, to discuss the impact rare disease has on mental health and what support for mental health can look like for individuals, families and medics. Rareminds is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) and the organisation has been providing online counselling, therapy and wellbeing services for rare disease charities since 2014. They do amazing work and they support professionals and patient leaders in making mental health integral to rare disease patient care.

In this episode we explore why mental health should be at the centre of patient care and how medics can open  conversations on mental health,  how to signpost and access further support an how medics can take care of their own mental health so that you can continue to offer great care and support in the clinic. 

Find out more about Rareminds and what they do here: www.rareminds.org

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Diamond-Blackfan Anemia with Angela Cornwall28 Apr 202300:42:11

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week's podcast, Melissa speaks with Angela Cornwall who is a parent carer for her daughter Natalie, who lives with a rare condition called Diamond-Blackfan Anemia. Angela has used her experiences and wealth of information to create solutions to not only help her own family, but as many people as possible.

Diamond-Blackfan Anemia is a rare condition that primarily affects the bone marrow, but people with this condition can also have other physical abnormalities affecting various parts of the body.

If you would like to find out more about Diamond-Blackfan Anemia you can find useful information here http://diamondblackfan.org.uk


Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

The importance of research in verbal dyspraxia care with Pam Slater20 Apr 202300:32:07

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For our next guest on the podcast, Melissa speaks to Pam Slater who is a devoted rare parent and verbal dyspraxia advocate.

Pam became involved with the rare disease community because she has a daughter who was diagnosed with FOXP2 which is a condition that affects the development of speech and language.

As Pam learnt more about the condition and how to support her, she also became more involved in raising awareness about the condition.

Hear what Pam had to say to Melissa in this week's podcast.

If you would like to access the resource mentioned in the podcast you can do so here

https://www.m4rd.org/resources/in-depth-characterisation-of-a-cohort-of-individuals-with-missense-and-loss-of-function-variants-disrupting-foxp2/

There is also a handy free disorder guide available on the unique Rare Chromosome Charity website.

https://rarechromo.org/disorder-guides/

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

"I want the world to be kind to James" our thoughts on the new Colin Farrell interview26 Sep 202400:40:28

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week's episode of the podcast, Lucy chats with Emma all about why Disneyland is more inclusive than society and Colin Farrell's recent interview where he talks about his son's rare condition Angelman Syndrome.

Angelman Syndrome is a rare genetic condition that effects the nervous system and causes severe physical and learning disabilities.

To find out more, visit https://www.angelmanuk.org/ and to watch the full interview with Colin Farrell, head to YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDiD8Z3lWQk&t=74s

Read the GeNotes on Angelman Syndrome here https://www.genomicseducation.hee.nhs.uk/genotes/knowledge-hub/angelman-syndrome/

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Facial Differences and Finding Self-Love with Jono Lancaster13 Apr 202301:09:58

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week's guest, Lucy interviews Jono Lancaster, who is an author and public speaker who has a condition called Treacher Collins Syndrome. It is a rare congenital condition that causes facial bones to develop asymmetrically.

Having struck up a relationship with Fearne Cotton, Jono has been featured on her Happy Place podcast, which has led to the idea to publish his own book, 'Not all Heroes Wear Capes' released later this year, all about finding self-love and accepting yourself.

Through his work, Jono has been encouraging others to love themselves too by looking after their own mental health and is the co-founder of charity Love Me Love My Face, which supports those with Treacher Collins Syndrome and other craniofacial conditions.

Jono speaks to Lucy all about his experiences with Treacher Collins Syndrome and what he's learnt over the years.

If you are interested in reading Jono's book, it is available to pre-order now https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/289864/jonathan-lancaster

The Royal Society of Medicine webinar mentioned in this podcast can be found here https://www.rsm.ac.uk/events/medicine-and-me/2022-23/mmr51/

If you or anyone you know has been effected by the topics discussed in this podcast, here are a couple of resources which may be helpful to you.

Mind Mental Health Charity https://www.mind.org.uk
Samaritans https://www.samaritans.org
Changing Faces - Providing support and promoting respect for everyone with a visible difference.

Jono can also be contacted on his instagram @jonolanc

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

My Journey with Superficial Siderosis11 Apr 202301:06:52

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week's episode of the podcast Lucy talks to Deborah Hatch who has Superficial Siderosis, which is a rare chronic progressive neurological dysfunction characterised by a classical triad of symptoms consisting of sensorineural hearing loss, cerebellar ataxia, and myelopathy.

She had a deformity on her spinal cord and was operated on at the age of three and is still looking for answers about her condition now.

Hear Debs' story and learn more about this very rare condition.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

M4RD Returns to Barts for Together Caring for Rare Disease30 Mar 202300:43:32

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

A few months ago, Medics4RareDiseases  partnered with Medscape Education, a global education website for medics, to produce a film with ITN. The programme, that was released on Rare Disease Day (28th February), focusing on the importance of rare disease education. It outlines M4RD and Medscape Education’s joint vision for a ‘one discipline’ approach to rare disease education, that is currently absent from most medical curriculums. 

Filming took place at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, QMUL, where M4RD first started as a student society and features interviews with our very own Dr Lucy McKay, CEO of M4RD, and Christy Rohani-Montez, PhD, Medscape’s Education Global Director of Clinical Strategy. Dan Jeffries, M4RD Trustee, author (and proud owner of two rare conditions) also featured and provided invaluable patient perspective. 

The film also includes an interview with Sir Professor Mark Caulfield, who heads up the Queen Mary University of London’s Medical School. Sir Professor Caulfield is a long-standing advocate of rare disease research and education and has supported M4RD right from the start.

On the day, Lucy interviewed Sir Professor Mark Caulfield, Dr Alexandra Downes and Dr. Melita Irving which are featured in this podcast, along with the audio recording of the ITN film, broadcast on Rare Disease Day 2023.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

The Rare Youth Monalogues at RareFest 202223 Mar 202300:44:12

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

During Rare Fest 2022, Chelsea Wong, Katie Callaghan and Eddie Bartlett, presented three thought provoking monologues which highlighted their experiences living with a rare disease. 

Facilitated by Lucy McKay, we hear each of their stories and learn more about how they felt presenting and sharing their stories in front of a live audience. 

You can learn more about the festival via the website here https://www.camraredisease.org

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Living with an Undiagnosed Condition with Tilly Rose16 Mar 202301:12:27

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Our first guest for Season 4 of The Rare Disease Podcast for Medics is Tilly Rose, who studied English at Jesus College, Oxford. She started a free platform called that Oxford Girl and published a book of the same name, all centering on facilitating greater access to Oxford University.

Tilly achieved all this while living with a chronic, undiagnosed condition, which turned out to be active tuberculosis. In 2022, through her social media activism, she documented her time in hospital and shone the light on the reality of the diagnostic odyssey. Thanks to her sharing personal and raw details of her story, she's gained a following of over 50,000 people who now better understand this phenomenon that is the foundation of most rare disease journeys today.

Last year, she signed with the soho agency for her memoir ‘Be Patient’ a warm Darkly comic account of her lifetime behind the hospital curtain.

Tilly chats to Lucy about her rare disease journey so far.

Find Tilly Rose on instagram @thattillyrose

Or read her blog at https://www.thatoxfordgirl.com/

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

M4RD Beyond Borders – Rare Disease Awareness in Zimbabwe20 Dec 202200:28:05

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

In this episode, Zimbabwean Medical Students dive deep into diseases that are rare and neglected in their communities. Listen as they share stories from individuals living with rare diseases and hope that through their lives we can all better understand these diseases and how it affects them. Their aim is that through their stories, we can better understand how we can help individuals socially, mentally, and economically. 

They are involved with Child and Youth Care Zimbabwe which are a registered Zimbabwean-based non-profit organisation focused on improving the quality of life of families living with a rare disease. To make this change possible they mobilise resources to support service delivery for people living with rare diseases. Check out their Rare Zim blog here.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Not your usual Dermatologist - a DM with Dr Barlow15 Dec 202201:05:10

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Lucy has a deep and meaningful with Dr Rich Barlow, Dermatology Registrar in the West Midlands and Chair of Trustees for Action for XP. Rich also lives with XP and shares his experiences living with the disease. From universal teenage angst to the incredible challenge of living everyday keeping himself shielded from any UV light. It's a good ol' heart to heart.

People who have XP (xeroderma pigmentosum) must take extreme measures to protect their skin from ultraviolet (UV) light. This includes anything that emits UV light, like the sun and some lightbulbs which can damage their skin.

Dr Rich and Lucy get into the nitty gritty of how the ubiquitous worries of life intersect with the extraordinary challenges of living with a rare condition. 

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

TAPS Twins - The patient the placenta and the passion for rare05 Dec 202200:54:01

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

This week Melissa speaks to Stephanie Ernst from the organization Taps Support, who has done an absolutely incredible job in getting medics to dare to think rare and to consider TAPS as a potential diagnosis in twin pregnancies. Listen how Melissa and Stephanie explore all things TAPS related and twin related and how parents and clinicians alike can work together to ensure quality care is upheld.

Stephanie is a writer, speaker, and advocate for change in how monochorionic twin pregnancies are diagnosed and treated. As a founder of the TAPS Support Foundation, Stephanie’s passion is raising awareness about twin complications. Twin Anemia Polycythemia Sequence, or TAPS as it’s better known, is a rare disease affecting twins sharing a placenta. TAPS in twins has many complications, including a high chance of neurodevelopmental impairment in donor twins, as well as deafness. There is also the potential for death and injury to babies from TAPS that is not diagnosed before birth. 

Thank you to Stephanie - an 'ervaringsdeskundige’ (expert by experience)

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Give Blood Spread Love (Sickle Cell Part 2)28 Nov 202200:43:41

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

The second part of Lucy's interview with columnist and advocate, Dunstan Nicol-Wilson. The continue to discuss parallels between Dunstan's experiences and the findings of the No One's Listening Report. And also how Dunstan's column for Sickle Cell Disease News drove him into raising awareness for the Give Blood Spread Love campaign. Plus mush more!

About Sickle Cell from The Sickle Cell Society

Give Blood Spread Love donor registration form

The ‘No One’s Listening’ report, which is based on the inquiry’s findings, was jointly published by the APPG on Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia and the Sickle Cell Society, a national charity that supports and represents people affected by sickle cell disorders. Findings discussed in this episode from the enquiry are taken directly from this report.

Sickle Cell Sagas by Dunstan Nicol-Wilson for Sickle Cell Disease News

About Blood Transfusions for Sickle Cell Disease

A must read book 'The Immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks' by Rebecca Skloot - see why at The Henrietta Lacks Foundation


Thank you to our 2022 Partners: Alexion, Amicus Therapeutics, Biomarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin, Orchard Therapeutics, PTC Therapeutics and Sobi.

Medics4RareDiseases is a charity registered in England and Wales (1183996). The charity is financially supported by commercial partners. Some of these companies are pharmaceutical companies. The charity works independently from these companies who have no editorial control over this content or any of the charity's activities. Learn more.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast. 

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

A brain tumour that isn’t a brain tumour24 Nov 202201:06:00

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Melissa speaks with Ailsa Crowe, a content producer at Cavernoma Alliance UK. Ailsa has a symptomatic cavernoma in her right thalamus that cannot be operated on or removed.  Ailsa knows first hand what it's like to be diagnosed with a rare disease and to have to work through the many challenges and obstacles that this brings.

In this episode we explore when an individual is told that they have a rare condition such as a cavernoma, it can be a long wait for further input from other specialists. Just because someone has received a diagnosis does not mean that the journey ends there and individuals may require frequent input and coordinated care depending on their unique situation. Primary healthcare providers can always be a point of support for their patients at all time points in the care pathway and should consider the long term impact of a diagnosis such as this.

Thank you so much Ailsa for your time and for sharing your story and your expertise to encourage all healthcare professionals to #DareToThinkRare
 
Links
Cavernoma Alliance UK https://cavernoma.org.uk/

Care Guidelines by Cavernoma Alliance UK https://cavernoma.org.uk/professionals/

Thank you to our 2022 Partners: Alexion, Amicus Therapeutics, Biomarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin, Orchard Therapeutics, PTC Therapeutics and Sobi.

Medics4RareDiseases is a charity registered in England and Wales (1183996). The charity is financially supported by commercial partners. Some of these companies are pharmaceutical companies. The charity works independently from these companies who have no editorial control over this content or any of the charity's activities. Learn more.


Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

'I am: Celine Dion' - how relatable (and unrelatable) is it?20 Sep 202400:41:34

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Celine Dion was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome in 2020.

Lucy chats with our trustee Dan Jeffries and our amabassador Emily Livesey to discuss their thoughts on her new docufilm and discuss how relatable (and unrelatable) Celine Dion's experiences are.

You can watch 'I am: Celine Dion' on Amazon Prime.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Huntington's In Mind17 Nov 202200:45:43

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Lucy speaks to Professor Ed Wild, Consultant Neurologist at Queen's Square in London, and Associate Director of UCL Huntingtons Disease Centre. With a short cameo from Jordan at the Huntingtons Disease Association.

"It may be an incurable disease but it's not an untreatable disease"

"people living with HD can be helped in many, many ways but really all that is needed is to be there for them and to be willing to listen to what problems people are having, try to figure out what the cause of those problems might be and then try to figure out ways in which you can deal with the causes of their problems."

Links
Huntington's Disease Association https://www.hda.org.uk/

Huntington's in Mind case studies https://www.hda.org.uk/huntingtonsinmind

Resources for professionals https://www.hda.org.uk/professionals

GEP explains expansion repeat disorders https://www.genomicseducation.hee.nhs.uk/blog/repeat-after-me-what-are-repeat-expansion-disorders/

Prof Ed Wild
https://edwild.com/
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ion/people/ed-wild

National Genomic Test Directory
If you ever want to see what genetic and genomic testing is available on the NHS and who can request it check this directory out
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-genomic-test-directories/

Thank you to our 2022 Partners: Alexion, Amicus Therapeutics, Biomarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin, Orchard Therapeutics, PTC Therapeutics and Sobi.

Medics4RareDiseases is a charity registered in England and Wales (1183996). The charity is financially supported by commercial partners. Some of these companies are pharmaceutical companies. The charity works independently from these companies who have no editorial control over this content or any of the charity's activities. Learn more.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Listening to the Sickle Cell community Part 103 Nov 202200:47:03

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Dunstan Nicol-Wilson joins Lucy to discuss all things sickle cell and many things apparently unrelated.

About Sickle Cell from The Sickle Cell Society

The ‘No One’s Listening’ report, which is based on the inquiry’s findings, was jointly published by the APPG on Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia and the Sickle Cell Society, a national charity that supports and represents people affected by sickle cell disorders. Findings discussed in this episode from the enquiry are taken directly from this report.

Sickle Cell Sagas by Dunstan Nicol-Wilson for Sickle Cell Disease News

Thank you to our 2022 Partners: Alexion, Amicus Therapeutics, Biomarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin, Orchard Therapeutics, PTC Therapeutics and Sobi.

Medics4RareDiseases is a charity registered in England and Wales (1183996). The charity is financially supported by commercial partners. Some of these companies are pharmaceutical companies. The charity works independently from these companies who have no editorial control over this content or any of the charity's activities. Learn more.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Embracing uncertainty when expecting a baby with a genetic condition27 Oct 202200:37:03

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

**** Trigger warning: Baby loss *****

Melissa is joined by Sonia Sankoli from SOFT UK - a support organisation for two chromosomal disorders: Trisomy 13 and Trisomy 18 (also known as Edward's Syndrome and Patau's Syndrome).  One size doesn't fit all for families affected by these two conditions.

Links
SOFT UK 

Healthcare Professionals Resources by SOFT UK

Antenatal Results and Choices (ARC) is a charity that provides non-directive information and support before, during and after antenatal screening. As well as  training and support to help healthcare professionals to provide the best possible care to every parent who faces a suspected or diagnosed foetal anomaly.

Thank you to our 2022 Partners: Alexion, Amicus Therapeutics, Biomarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin, Orchard Therapeutics, PTC Therapeutics and Sobi.

Medics4RareDiseases is a charity registered in England and Wales (1183996). The charity is financially supported by commercial partners. Some of these companies are pharmaceutical companies. The charity works independently from these companies who have no editorial control over this content or any of the charity's activities. Learn more.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Dr Grace, brother Eddie, Addison's Disease and ED20 Oct 202200:58:17

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Eddie was diagnosed with Addison's Disease during the pandemic, while his older sister was studying medicine. Dr Grace and Eddie join Lucy to talk about Addison's Disease and how a different approach is needed for young people with rare and invisible conditions.

Thank you to our 2022 Partners: Alexion, Amicus Therapeutics, Biomarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin, Orchard Therapeutics, PTC Therapeutics and Sobi.

Medics4RareDiseases is a charity registered in England and Wales (1183996). The charity is financially supported by commercial partners. Some of these companies are pharmaceutical companies. The charity works independently from these companies who have no editorial control over this content or any of the charity's activities. Learn more.

The Student Voice Prize is open for submissions! Until 16th November. Check out the three questions now and if you need a patient advocate to speak to make sure you apply to patient group pairing scheme.

Addisons Self-Help Group
M4RD Ambassadors
Grace's blog about rare disease and the emergency department 

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Medics in research, advocacy and winning prizes (Student Voice Prize 2022) ft Phil from Beacon and Meagan from CureGRIN13 Oct 202201:05:47

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Guest host alert! Phil from Beacon joins Lucy to discuss The Student Voice Prize (and so much more) with Meagan Collins, 2nd year medical student in Buffalo, USA. Meagan was runner up of The Student Voice Prize in 2021, winning in the research question category. The essay competition is OPEN NOW so find out why should enter.

The Student Voice Prize - find the questions and submit
Beacon for Rare Diseases  (formerly known as Findacure) is a UK-based charity that is building a united rare disease community with patient groups at its heart.
CureGRIN Foundation website
Rare Disease 101 - learn the basics about 7000 rare diseases without learning about a single rare disease. Free. Authored by the rare disease community. For you.
Genomics England's 100K Genomes Project

Thank you to our 2022 Partners: Alexion, Amicus Therapeutics, Biomarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin, Orchard Therapeutics, PTC Therapeutics and Sobi.

Medics4RareDiseases is a charity registered in England and Wales (1183996). The charity is financially supported by commercial partners. Some of these companies are pharmaceutical companies. The charity works independently from these companies who have no editorial control over this content or any of the charity's activities. Learn more.

The Student Voice Prize is open for submissions! Until 16th November. Check out the three questions now and if you need a patient advocate to speak to make sure you apply to patient group pairing scheme.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Episode 0: What's coming up in season 3?06 Oct 202200:23:42

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Lucy introduces the newest season of The Rare Disease Podcast 4 Medics with the help of Melissa. We give some teasers about interviews that will be coming to you this season including episodes about supportive care for newborns, mental wellbeing in sickle cell disease, misconceptions in Huntington's disease and a pair of siblings talking about Addison's disease.

Thank you to our 2022 Partners: Alexion, Amicus Therapeutics, Biomarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin, Orchard Therapeutics, PTC Therapeutics and Sobi.

Medics4RareDiseases is a charity registered in England and Wales (1183996). The charity is financially supported by commercial partners. Some of these companies are pharmaceutical companies. The charity works independently from these companies who have no editorial control over this content or any of the charity's activities. Learn more.

The Student Voice Prize is open for submissions! Until 16th November. Check out the three questions now and if you need a patient advocate to speak to make sure you apply to patient group pairing scheme.

Links
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
The ABPI Code of Practice
RAREFest 2022 come watch the Rare Monologues
Grace's blog about rare disease and the emergency department
Give Blood, Spread Love, England
Huntington's in Mind

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Not just hypermobility16 May 202200:49:09

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Vascular Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (Vascular EDS/VEDS) is just one of 13 sub-types of a group of connective tissue disorders called Ehlers Danlos. Due to a deficiency in collagen the walls of blood vessels are prone to dissection, rupture or aneurysm with potentially fatal consequences. However considering the serious complications of vascular EDS its presentation can be subtle and hard to spot. Clare, Jared and Dr Paddy Coughlin explain how patients with vascular EDS may present and what challenges they face. Trigger warning - descriptions of vascular events and bleeding.

And here endeth Season 2! Join us in September for the next Season!

Links
Accompanying blog with images about vascular EDS.

Annabelle’s Challenge aims to promote awareness and medical research into the rare, life-threatening and incurable genetic condition Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (Vascular EDS). It was founded in 2013 by Jared and Sarah Griffin, after their daughter Annabelle was diagnosed with Vascular EDS at the age of 3.

Please watch this short video where you can see Jared and Sarah talk about Annabelle's diagnosis. As well as hear other families share their stories.

Ehlers Danlos Support UK (EDS UK) was set up in 1987 to support, advise and inform those living with the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes.  The charity represents and supports people with all types of EDS.

Ehlers Danlos GP Toolkit
 
Orphanet's description of Vascular Ehlers Danlos

Loeys-Dietz is another connective tissue disorder that Paddy mentioned. Loyes-Dietz also causes aneurysms as well as other features.

Von Willebrand Disorder (VWD) is a common misdiagnosis given to people with vascular EDS. VWD is a clotting disorder unlike vascular EDS which is a connective tissue disorder.  People with VWD have low levels of a protein involved in blood clotting, von Willebrand Factor (VWF) in their blood, or their VWF is dysfunctional, so it takes longer for the clotting process to work and for bleeding to stop.

Sponsorship Notice
This podcast is brought to you by Medics4RareDiseases. M4RD receives sponsorship from commercial companies. In 2022 this includes:

Alexion Therapeutics, Amicus Therapeutics UK Ltd, BioMarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin, Orchard Therapeutics and SOBI.

These companies have no editorial control over this or any other M4RD content. Sponsorship does not equate to endorsement of companies or products. Views expressed during this podcast are personal and don't reflect those of

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Clinical Trials and Early Access Programmes with Bionical Emas12 May 202200:38:46

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

This episode is brought to you by Bionical Emas and M4RD. Naomi from Bionical Emas talks about how her sister received an investigational medicine as a child and how this inspired Naomi to become a Clinical Research Nurse. She now works as Global Advocacy Lead for Bionical Emas - a Clinical Research Organisation (CRO) which combines Clinical Development, Early Access Program (EAP) and Clinical Trial Supply (CTS) services to deliver a unique, seamless approach to bring life-changing medicines around the world.

Naomi co-authored a new mini-module on M4RD Learn about clinical trials and early access programmes and if you haven't checked it out already, you will want to after this podcast: learn.m4rd.org

Bionical Emas is a sponsor of M4RD in 2022 and this episode and the mini-module were funded by Bionical Emas.

To find out how M4RD works with sponsors please visit www.m4rd.org/sponsors

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

What is a genetic counsellor? And some special guests!05 May 202200:47:53

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Lucy and Melissa record live from emotive agency offices in London! Joined by two special guests, Jason and Kelly from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who have taken a break in the medical studies to see how rare disease education and advocacy is approached in other countries.

Part One: Melissa Clasen, Education and Training Officer for M4RD, talks about what a genetic counsellor does as well as who can access this service and how to make that happen. Melissa trained in genetic counselling in South Africa and moved to the UK 4 years ago. Before joining M4RD, Melissa worked at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

Part Two: Jason and Kelly introduce themselves, what they've been learning, what medical school is like in Hong Kong.

Links
NHS information on genetic counselling
British Society of Genetic Medicine
Genomics Education Programme

Rare Disease Hong Kong
Unique - information for families and professionals about rare chromosomal conditions

Sponsorship Notice
This podcast is brought to you by Medics4RareDiseases. M4RD receives sponsorship from commercial companies. In 2022 this includes:

Alexion Therapeutics, Amicus Therapeutics UK Ltd, BioMarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin, Orchard Therapeutics and SOBI.

These companies have no editorial control over this or any other M4RD content. Sponsorship does not equate to endorsement of companies or products. Views expressed during this podcast are personal and don't reflect those of M4RD sponsors.

Novartis support M4RD's Mystery Monday.

Go here to find out more about how M4RD works with sponsors. Companies have no editorial control over any of M4RD's activities or content of this podcast.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Paramedic to patient28 Apr 202200:49:29

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Melissa from M4RD interviews Marie who was a healthy and active paramedic until one shift when she suddenly started experiencing pain in her left side (left upper quadrant pain). As a healthcare professional Marie knew likely causes for the sudden pain and knew how to treat it. However the wasn't musculoskeletal or costochondritis or even cholesystitis. It was in fact caused by compression of the duodenum by two arteries. A condition known as Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome (SMA - but not spinal muscular atrophy!!)

Marie talks about the pursuit of a diagnosis. What it did and didn't give her. How her mental health has been negatively impacted by the "rollercoaster" she has been on and how her family have been affected.

As an HCP herself, Marie is pragmatic about the challenges faced by her peers in the NHS and reflects on what she has learned from her own experiences. Which she uses in her role as Teaching Fellow in paramedic Practice at Oxford Brookes University. Find out more about the course here.

Links
Read our latest blog A REAL rollercoaster - from paramedic to patient

More info on Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome from NORD

Renal Nutcracker Syndrome on Orphanet - a related compression syndrome of the left renal vein (LRV) between the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and the abdominal aorta

Nicolette Baker suffered from SMA Syndrome for years causing her nausea and she was unable to eat. She went undiagnosed for years and was going for surgical treatment in Germany before she sadly died.

Sponsorship Notice
This podcast is brought to you by Medics4RareDiseases. M4RD receives sponsorship from commercial companies. In 2022 this includes:

Alexion Therapeutics, Amicus Therapeutics UK Ltd, BioMarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin, Orchard Therapeutics and SOBI.

These companies have no editorial control over this or any other M4RD content. Sponsorship does not equate to endorsement of companies or products. Views expressed during this podcast are personal and don't reflect those of M4RD sponsors.

Go here to find out more about how M4RD works with sponsors. Companies have no editorial control over any of M4RD's activities or content of this podcast.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Blind skiing and expressive art 12 Sep 202400:34:15

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

For this week's episode of the podcast, Lucy speak's with Indy about skiing, art and disability. Indy is one the teachers at Stagecoach, who put on performing arts workshops for children.

She lives with a condition called Oculofacialcardiodental Syndrome and is registered blind. Indy and Lucy discuss the therapeutic power of art as Indy shares how her degree in Creative Expressive Art helped her grieve the loss of her vision last year.

Lucy was lucky to catch Indy before she headed to Whistler for a ski season with The Whistler Adaptive Ski and Snowboard Program. Indy will be training the trainers in assisting visually impaired skiers.

Listen out for the tiny voice of Lucy's daughter :)

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

The Unusual Suspects Live Recording Part 221 Apr 202201:09:59

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

This is Part 2 of a live recording of The Unusual Suspects: Rare disease in everyday medicine which was hosted by M4RD and The Medical Genetics Section of The Royal Society of Medicine in February 2022. The Royal Society of Medicine event page for The Unusual Suspects 2022

In this second part you will hear about:
The role of genomics in achieving health equity
Dr Denise Williams, Consultant Clinical Geneticist, Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Enhanced Genetics Services Evaluation Report

Genome UK: The future of healthcare

Reading recommendation!! The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Narrative based medicine and intersectionality
Dr Sondra Butterworth, Community Psychologist, RareQoL
Listen to Sondra talking about inclusivity in Season 1 of the podcast here
The Whose Voice is it Anyway report that was produced by RareQoL , M4RD & NHS England.

Improving knowledge and understanding of rare disease: Lessons learned from an an unusual heart attack
Dr David Adlam, Associate Professor of Acute and Interventional Cardiology, University of Leicester
Listen to the episode featuring Dave and BeatSCAD called Not your usual heart attack here

Putting the ‘I’ in Intersectionality: the unspoken pandemic
Miss Zainab Alani, Medical Student, University of Glasgow &
The Student Voice Prize 2021 winner
Learn more about Myasthenia Gravis through myaware and Orphanet


Sponsorship Notice
M4RD was able to produce this event thanks to sponsorship by by Alexion Therapeutics and SOBI. Neither company has any editorial control over content and sponsorship does not equate to endorsement. Views expressed in this episode are personal and do not reflect those of the companies involved.

This podcast is brought to you by Medics4RareDiseases. M4RD receives sponsorship from commercial companies. In 2022 this includes:

Alexion Therapeutics, Amicus Therapeutics UK Ltd, BioMarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin, Orchard Therapeutics and SOBI.

These companies have no editorial control over this or any other M4RD content. Sponsorship does not equate to endorsement of companies or products. Views expressed during this podcast are personal and don't reflect those of M4RD sponsors.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

The Unusual Suspects Live Recording Part 116 Apr 202200:39:30

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

This is Part 1 of a live recording of The Unusual Suspects: Rare disease in everyday medicine which was hosted by M4RD and The Medical Genetics Section of The Royal Society of Medicine in February 2022.

In this first part you will hear from Dr Lucy McKay on Rare Disease 101 and Aisha Seedat on The UK Rare Disease's Framework. Aisha lives with mucopolysaccharidosis type IV (Morquio Syndrome) and she reflects on what she would like to see from the Framework.

M4RD was able to produce this event thanks to sponsorship by by Alexion Therapeutics and SOBI. Neither company has any editorial control over content and sponsorship does not equate to endorsement. Views expressed in this episode are personal and do not reflect those of the companies involved.

Links
The Royal Society of Medicine event page for The Unusual Suspects 2022
The UK MPS Society
The Whose Voice is it Anyway report that Aisha contributed to.
The Sickle Cell Society and the APPG's No-One's Listening Report  published following inquiry into avoidable deaths and failures of care for sickle cell patients.

Declaration
Dr Lucy McKay is on the Faculty Steering Committee for Medscape's Pathways for Rare Disease. She has received an honorarium in order to guide and develop this resource.

Sponsorship Notice
This podcast is brought to you by Medics4RareDiseases. M4RD receives sponsorship from commercial companies. In 2022 this includes:

Alexion Therapeutics, Amicus Therapeutics UK Ltd, BioMarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin, Orchard Therapeutics and SOBI.

These companies have no editorial control over this or any other M4RD content. Sponsorship does not equate to endorsement of companies or products. Views expressed during this podcast are personal and don't reflect those of M4RD sponsors.

Go here to find out more about how M4RD works with sponsors. Companies have no editorial control over any of M4RD's activities or content of this podcast.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Lifelines in Leukodystrophy - a supportive GP and peer support07 Apr 202200:58:07

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Aged six Alexander developed a squint and hearing loss which didn't cause too much alarm until he started displaying strange behaviours akin to dementia such forgetting where his bedroom was.  Despite concerns from Alex's parents, school and grandparents these symptoms were initially dismissed by the local GP. Sadly Alexander was not seen urgently for what would turn out to be a progressive condition that could only be mitigated by timely treatment with a bone marrow transplant.

Aged six both Alex and his twin brother, Cameron, were diagnosed with the devastating condition, cerebral leukodystrophy. This is an x-linked condition that they had inherited through their mum, Karen, who was 40 weeks pregnant with her third son at the time.

The following events are unimaginable for anyone who's not lived through it and, Karen says, looking back she also finds it hard to believe what happened. Karen and her husband were given Alexander's diagnosis on a Friday afternoon and received no support or follow up over the longest weekend of their lives. But their GP stepped up and literally turned up at their house to say he and his colleagues would be there for whatever they needed.

This one small act set the tone for a supportive relationship from then on, putting the diagnostic odyssey behind them, and looking to the future as a partnership in the family's holistic care. This plus peer support through Alex The Leukodystrophy Charity were lifelines and continue to be lifelines for Karen and her family.

Links 
The Alex Leukodystrophy Charity (Alex TLC)
Improving clinical care by learning about lived experience - a talk by Karen Harrison and Dr Alexandra Downes.

Sponsorship Notice
This podcast is brought to you by Medics4RareDiseases. M4RD receives sponsorship from commercial companies. In 2022 this includes:

Alexion Therapeutics, Amicus Therapeutics UK Ltd, BioMarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin, Novartis, Orchard Therapeutics and SOBI.

These companies have no editorial control over this or any other M4RD content. Sponsorship does not equate to endorsement of companies or products. Views expressed during this podcast are personal and don't reflect those of M4RD sponsors.

Go here to find out more about how M4RD works with sponsors. Companies have no editorial control over any of M4RD's activities or content of this podcast.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

Assumptions, amputations and coordinated care31 Mar 202200:51:06

Let us know what you think of this episode! We read every comment we receive.

Lucy is joined by Helena Baker who was born with a congenital limb defect, worked as a nurse and is the outgoing CEO of Rare Disease Nurse Network.

Helena was born with fibular hemimelia - a disorder of limb budding results in a congenital limb malformation characterized by complete or partial absence of the fibula bone combined with dysplasia and hypoplasia of the tibia and dysplasia, hypoplasia or aplasia of parts of the foot (Orphanet).

Despite having 100s of operations and having a fairly classical presentation of this condition Helena did not know her diagnosis until aged 49.5 years. Despite the name of the condition not changing her management it meant a lot to her family to be able to understand that nobody was to blame for what Helena had endured her whole life. And not long after Helena had to come to terms with the requirement to amputate her "little foot".

In this episode Lucy and Helena talk openly about how an assumption of knowledge left her in the dark about her diagnosis, what it's like to say goodbye to your own limb and how coordination of care and better communication could make all the difference to people like Helena. Which is why she is passionate that RDNN become the Macmillan equivalent for rare disease.

Sponsorship Notice
This podcast is brought to you by Medics4RareDiseases. M4RD receives sponsorship from commercial companies. In 2022 this includes:

Alexion Therapeutics, Amicus Therapeutics UK Ltd, BioMarin, Bionical Emas, Healx, Kyowa Kirin and SOBI.

These companies have no editorial control over this or any other M4RD content. Sponsorship does not equate to endorsement of companies or products. Views expressed during this podcast are personal and don't reflect those of M4RD sponsors.

Go here to find out more about how M4RD works with sponsors. Companies have no editorial control over any of M4RD's activities or content of this podcast.

Views, ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast are personal to the individual and Medics4RareDiseases does not accept responsibility for those expressed by guests.

M4RD receives funding from commercial companies which it works independently from. M4RD's Partners and Funders do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this podcast.

M4RD does not endorse any companies or products that it receives sponsorship from. For more information please see the show notes and www.m4rd.org/sponsors #DareToThinkRare

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