08/10/2026
🦓 Why are rare disease patients called "zebras"?🦓
If you've spent time in the rare disease community, you've probably seen the zebra symbol. There's a meaningful reason behind it.
In medical school, students are often taught, "When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras," meaning common conditions are usually the most likely diagnosis. But for the more than 300 million people worldwide living with a rare disease, the answer is sometimes a zebra.
For many individuals with Fabry disease, the journey to diagnosis can take years. Symptoms are often overlooked or mistaken for more common conditions. The zebra reminds us that while rare diseases may be uncommon individually, together they affect millions of people who deserve timely diagnosis, and compassionate, appropriate care.
At FSIG, we're proud to stand with our incredible community of zebras. That means patients, caregivers, families, clinicians, and researchers working together to raise awareness, improve education, and ensure that no one has to navigate Fabry disease alone.
Every zebra has a story and every one of those stories matters.
