Takeda begins I Am Number 12 campaign
By Derek Winkler
Pharmaceutical company Takeda Canada has begun a campaign called “I Am Number 12” intended to raise awareness of rare diseases. The social media campaign consists of photographs of rare disease patients, caregivers, clinicians and advocates posted on Instagram, along with their personal stories. Starting on Nov. 28, the company will highlight one person each day for 12 days.
“At its heart, ‘I Am Number 12' is a community-driven collaboration between Takeda and a vast network of patient organizations to recognize the everyday heroes of rare diseases who are our changemakers,” said Rute Fernandes, president and general manager of Takeda in Canada. “Our joint goal is to increase understanding of what it's like to live with a rare disease, bring better health and a brighter future to all patients by addressing areas of high unmet need, and to show Canadians that rare diseases aren't always that rare.”
The campaign is being conducted in association with 13 Canadian rare disease patient organizations, including HAE Canada, Immunity Canada, Alpha-1 Canada, the Canadian Fabry Association, the National Gaucher Foundation of Canada, the Canadian MPS Society, the GBS/CIDP Foundation of Canada, Answering TTP, Regroupement québécois des maladies orphelines, the Association des Patients Immunodéficients du Québec, Angio-oedème héréditaire du Québec, the Sickle Cell Disease Association of Canada and the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders.