Rare disease patients often report feeling lonely and isolated due to the lack of awareness and understanding surrounding their disease. Patients are sparsely located all over the world and it can be difficult to identify and connect with one another. This is why we work hard to bring patients together. One way of doing this is through our online communities, where users can connect with other patients, share experiences, discuss symptoms and support one another.
Our AKU specialist communities provide a secure environment where those affected by AKU can discuss their problems and track the progression of their diseases. These communities are set up and moderated by patient advocates, ourselves, and dedicated teams with knowledge of AKU. They are more private than Facebook and Twitter, meaning you can feel comfortable discussing any problems without having to worry about it being seen by those you don’t want it to.
‘I have really appreciated getting to know, and having contact with, other people who have AKU. It makes such a difference having other people to talk to who are going through the same thing. We can share our problems and success.’’
PatientsLikeMe
The AKU Society have teamed up with PatientsLikeMe to create a free, online patient community. The community offers a place where those affected by AKU can connect with one another, learn more about their disease, receive support and track their symptoms and experiences.
The unique platform encourages you to input your symptoms, mood and quality of life. You can then track and compare these over time to help you to better understand and manage AKU. By sharing information and experiences, you are helping the whole AKU community, as this data is used to better understand AKU and contribute to medical research.
AKU patient Rosie Garbutt was one of the first patients to sign up. When speaking about her experience of the AKU community she said:
‘PatientsLikeMe seems amazing. It is really strange seeing so many people with AKU signed up to it. It’s really easy to use and makes contacting others with AKU so fast! Thank you for setting this up.’
RareConnect
RareConnect is an online platform for rare diseases, created by Eurordis (European Rare Disease Organisation) and NORD (National Organisations for Rare Disorders) to help reduce the sense of isolation commonly reported by rare disease patients.
We have an AKU community on RareConnect where those affected by AKU can connect, share experiences, find information and support each other in a secure, safe environment. The great thing about RareConnect is that there is an option to have your message translated by human translator. This means that you really can connect with people from all over the world!
Signing up will mean meeting and talking to other AKU patients, sharing your stories and experiences and having access to the latest resources. We also post regular updates and run webinars, keeping our community informed on the progress of our projects.
Join now by clicking the button below!