Storytelling holds immense power and, thus, is one of the best ways to raise awareness of rare diseases.
Hanna Smith has a career as a journalist. Over the years, she has interviewed people about some of the hardest subjects in their lives. People are often very willing to share their stories with Hanna, even when it is tough to do so.
She became a journalist because people need an avenue to share their experiences. A good story will inspire the reader and help them understand a subject.
Hanna’s father has trauma-induced Type 1 Trigeminal Neuralgia.
This a chronic pain that affects the nerves in the face. She writes that it is known as the “suicide disease” and the “worst pain known to man.”
There has yet to be a successful treatment or a cure for this excruciatingly painful disease. Her father was in pain for 13 years before he could successfully receive a surgery that numbed the pain on the side of his face.
Reading stories lets us know that we are not alone.
Her father stated that a person may feel hopeless because they have a rare disease. Then, he said that by sharing candid stories, people will know that they are not alone. Likewise, these stories create a community of individuals going through similar things and that makes finding a cure a priority.
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