In the United States, football season is about to get underway. But for rare disease researchers, there is no off season.
That’s why for Uplifting Athletes, raising awareness and funds in the fight against rare diseases is a year-round endeavor. Since the nonprofit organization consists of a national network of chapters run by current football student-athletes, the football season does have some special significance, however.
That why on a new episode of the “World of Promise” podcast, host Anthony Farina was excited to sit down with Rob Long, Executive Director of Uplifting Athletes.
“There are roughly 30 million college football fans in the United States and there are roughly 30 rare disease patients in the United States,” says Rob. “Our job is to make those two overlap and to raise that awareness,” he says.
For Rob, the connection to rare disease is personal. An all-American punter at Syracuse University, Rob’s football career was cut short after he was diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma, a rare form of brain cancer. He had to put aside his desire to play in the NFL but instead answered another calling as a leader in the rare disease community. Listen to Rob share his story on this episode.
