March 31, 2025

Creating Awareness in Schools

Children played a vital role in IDFA’s Rare Disease Day 2025 campaign, with schools and young members actively participating in awareness initiatives

IDFA’s Campaign Heroes—Christopher, Arlo, and Austin—took centre stage, each receiving an awareness pack with educational resources and a colouring competition entry. Their powerful stories were featured in a media release, helping to amplify their voices and inspire others in the rare disease community.

Forbes Public School made a remarkable contribution with over 100 entries in IDFA’s colouring competition, helping raise awareness of Rare Diseases. The winner, a student from the school, was recognised during a special visit by IDFA CEO Carolyn Dews and IDFA Carer Member Emma Baxter (mother of Jack). The visit included a presentation on Rare Diseases, featuring a segment from Operation Ouch (Season 13, Episode 1: Fart Rocket, 9:00–12:30 minutes), where Jack shared his journey with a rare disease. The winner was also presented with a family zoo voucher, generously provided by Taronga Zoo.

As part of the campaign, an “I Don’t Feel Alone” video was developed to further highlight the importance of connection, featuring 10 IDFA members sharing their voice. With 3.1K views, this heartfelt video resonated with audiences and introduced IDFA’s mission to new supporters.

Looking ahead, IDFA plans to expand school engagement efforts – working with families and building on the success of this year’s campaign to ensure even more young people understand and support those living with rare diseases.