“I receive many mothers emails …”

Letizia, in Oviedo. The queen has attended the central act of rare disease day, which has taken place in the Prince Felipe Auditorium. “The Tierrina of His Majesty”, as the presenter has indicated in his welcome words, has been for the first time the host of this event.

A brief theatrical introduction has served as starting for this official act for the day of people with rare diseases, which has been held at the Queen’s Native Oviedo on Tuesday, March 4, four days after February 28, official commemorative date.

An event sponsored by the Feder Foundation inspired by the visibility of these diseases that has summoned patients, families, researchers and health authorities. Almost 7,000 rare diseases that affect 3.5 million people have placed themselves in the center of the campaign, which also gives the action ‘pERsonas’.

Juan Carrión, president of the FEDER, has begun the act with Mayor Oviedo, Alfredo Canteli. “Asturias is that place where if you come always want to return,” Carrión said, thanking the queen for her presence. “A person who fights by our side,” he stressed from Felipe VI’s wife. “Thank you for being part of this path, thanks for your involvement, for your listening without limits, for your proximity and always be by our side”the founder has concluded in his gratitude.

“Lucia, Marco, Pablo …”

Without papers and in a determined voice, the queen has taken the floor: “I am the last one, I will be very brief.” First, he has mentioned the “serious injured in the explosion of Mieres”; And then he has questioned “editors, editors and cameramen” that we prepared our chronicles. The Queen has put the focus on “access to treatments” and that processes are shortened; “The equity of territories”; “The mental health of the people who care”; “Diagnostics in short times” and that “advances in recent specialties”. An act of people. “Juan (Carrión) has told us the story of his daughter Celia and her encephalopathy,” he recalled. Then, Letizia has mentioned the names of children and their respective infrequent pathologies: “Lucia, Marco, another Lucia, Pablo … of course there are people behind these diseases.”

The queen has revealed that she receives “many emails” from mothers of children with rare diseases And “all those mothers” write: “I address you with the hope of a mother who would do anything to save your son’s life”. In this fight for research and for obtaining a diagnosis, these women are an example of “courage and strength”. “The voices of people with rare diseases challenge us,” he said.

And addressing the authors, Letizia has said goodbye: “You can consider being carbayones and carbayonas of adoption like me” (former oak on Uría de Oviedo street, known as the carbayón in Asturian, which has given rise to the gentilicio of the Ovetenses).

The Queen has delivered the awards in recognition of the works and projects to improve the lives of patients. For 15 years, Letizia accompanies the Feder family, as Carrión said. Mónica García, Minister of Health; and Adrián Barbón, president of the Principality of Asturias. More than 70,000 Asturians live with rare diseases or in search of diagnosis, according to Feder data.

For this act, Felipe VI’s wife has opted for a diplomatic stripe salary suit with bell and white shirt pants, which has finished off with a black scarf knotted around the neck.