To mark Rare Disease Day 2025, we are proud to present More than you can imagine: an anthology of rare experiences. The anthology is a powerful collection of creative works that bring to life the experiences of individuals within the genetic, rare, and undiagnosed communities through poetry, personal stories, photography, and artwork.
View the anthology now
We are so proud of this piece of work and extremely thankful to all the contributors and creative individuals that shared their experiences.
Featuring over 60 submissions, the anthology represents more than 50 different rare conditions. Contributors range in age from 9 to 71 and come from across the UK, including individuals living with rare conditions, their families, parents, partners, siblings, children, healthcare professionals, and support organisations.
Themes of resilience, isolation, mental health, and the experience of ‘fighting’ for care echo throughout the anthology. But so too does the strength found in support and community.
While each story is deeply personal, it is impossible to ignore the shared challenges. Delayed diagnoses, a lack of awareness among healthcare professionals, fragmented care, and barriers to accessing treatment and support.
Our goal with this anthology is to amplify the voices of those within the genetic, rare and undiagnosed community to achieve greater understanding of the impact of these conditions. We hope these powerful creative expressions will inform the public, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and parliamentarians and drive meaningful change.
At Genetic Alliance UK, we are uniquely positioned to ensure these voices are heard far and wide. We hope that you are as profoundly affected by the Anthology’s content as we have been.
Support our work
We are proud of our anthology, and it's down to our incredible supporters that we are able to produce impactful resources, like our new anthology, and to support the 3.5 million people living in the UK with a rare condition. Please consider donating today.
