Support us Super Rare 2022 Be Super Rare! It's that time of year when Super Rare supporters come together to raise funds and awareness, creating brighter days for people with aplastic anaemia. Brighter days through research This time last year, people with aplastic anaemia were contacting us daily in sadness and frustration. As the world celebrated new Covid-19 vaccines, our community were stuck, not knowing if the vaccines were safe or effective for them. But in November, we were able to announce that Covid-19 vaccines do work for people with aplastic anaemia. Funding this research cost £25,000 - that's around the same amount you raised during last year's Super Rare campaign. This year we'll uncover more detail about the response to Covid-19 vaccines in people with aplastic anaemia, and investigate new treatment options, that could offer hope to more people, and improve quality of life for patients and their families. Brighter days through support Creating brighter days for people with aplastic anaemia is often about having someone to talk to who understands, who you don't have to explain your condition to again and again. It's about being rare - but not alone. We asked Lisa what support from The Aplastic Anaemia Trust had meant to her: "I’ve accessed a wealth of support from the AAT! Right from the onset of my diagnosis, I joined the mailing list so I would get updates from the buddy list and regular magazines with news and updates. "Then came the patient support Facebook group which has literally been a lifeline - on the days when you panic and no-one close to you quite understands what you’re worried about, you post on the group and people who know EXACTLY what you mean, they all reply with their own experience and instantly make you feel better. "The webinars with people like Dr Austin & Professor Hillmen are just so helpful - especially in recent years with the increased worry of the pandemic. To have such leading experts address us as a group and how best we can help ourselves, is just invaluable. "I’ve been a member of Wellbeing Wednesdays since it started and it’s one of the highlights of my week! Lesley from Maggies is such a great facilitator of the group and it’s a wonderful forum for like minded people to share their worries and also their many joys! "Finally, I’ve accessed the Winter Wellbeing Programme - it’s great to see the AAT promoting a holistic approach to managing AA. I’ve found things like yoga and mindfulness have been a huge help to me since diagnosis and have done much of it privately at a cost - to have this free from the AAT is such a bonus! "The AAT makes you feel like you’re part of a really special, supportive family. I’ve met people, built connections and friendships that I wouldn’t have without my AA diagnosis - The AAT really is the silver lining of the cloud that is AA!" How to earn your Super Rare Tee! Brad and his team of pic Super Rare fundraisers looking fierce in their Super Rare tees last year! We've created a brand new t-shirt design for Super Rare this year, featuring a rare leucistic toucan with the message "shining bright for people with aplastic anaemia". Choose from any of our four Super Rare designs and shine bright for people with aplastic anaemia! This year we have more ways for you to earn your tee... 1. Raise £200 before the end of March Create a page here and ask friends to donate! Or if you're a frequent Facebooker, you could create a Facebook fundraiser. You could take on a challenge, ask people to make a donation instead of buying you a birthday present, or just ask people to donate because it's Aplastic Anaemia Awareness day on 4th March. Create your fundraising page now Download a free fundraising pack When you reach £200, just email a link to your fundraising page to Hannah at [email protected] and she will arrange for you to receive your free t-shirt. 2. Join us at an event this year Super Rare is all about bringing people with aplastic anaemia together, to help them feel like a community. From a cold splash in the sea to a terrifying abseil, we have an event for everyone this year. All you need to do is book your place on one of our fundraising events, and start your fundraising early, with a donation on your page before the end of March. Once you're signed up and have the first donation, email a link to your online fundraising page to Hannah at [email protected] and she will send you back the code for your free tee. Choose an event now 3. Give regularly Be Super Rare all year! If you're not in a position to fundraise right now, then perhaps you could sign up to donate once a month to support the work of The Aplastic Anaemia Trust. Sign up before the end of March to give as little as £2 a month, and Hannah will be in touch to award your free tee. Regular gifts help us to plan our work with confidence, so we know we can continue to provide support to patients into the future. If you already donate regularly and would like a t-shirt - drop Hannah an email at [email protected]). Set up your regular donation now Manage Cookie Preferences