One of the things, worldwide, that people will be doing on February 28th, is "showing their stripes" in honor of it being Rare Disease Day. As a way of paying homage to it, I've posted a "promo" image atop this entry.
According to a number of sources, including NORD (The National Association for Rare Disorders), "In the U.S., any disease affecting fewer than 200,000 people is considered rare. This definition comes from the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 and is slightly different from the definition used in Europe. There are more than 7,000 rare diseases affecting 25-30 million Americans. In other words, one in ten Americans are suffering from rare diseases and more than half of them are children."
The striped animal known as the zebra is the official symbol of rare diseases because this creature's black and white stripes are part of what makes the animal to its unique.
NORD wants to remind the general public of these facts: "Everyone has his/her own stripes, those characteristics that make each individual distinct. While each of the more than 7,000 rare diseases are unique, there are many commonalities that unite the rare disease community. In the spirit of raising awareness regarding rare disease issues, people with a rare disease or have a loved one with a rare disease are being asked to SHOW THEIR STRIPES."
However, even zebras have a rarity within their own community. In 2019 Earth Touch News reported, "a plain's zebra in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve dared to be different. A foal, sporting a unique brown coat accented with a smattering of white polka dots, was spotted by Maasai guide Antony Tira."
The creature can be seen in the next image.
This spotty zebra was evidently named Tira by the guide who first found him.
