Join in Lafora Body Disease Day 2026!

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It’s that time of year again! We recognize October 1, 2026, as Lafora Body Disease Day.

Chelsea’s Hope will raise awareness to support children fighting for their lives, find answers for families feeling overwhelmed, and accelerate the development of treatments.

We need your participation to make it a success! Creating awareness is key to more research, better support, and a brighter future for families facing Lafora disease. Keep reading for resources and ways to get involved.

Awareness Video

We want to make a “United against Lafora” awareness video, including families, patients, and organizations who can participate from around the world.

If you can join, please email us a short video where you say “United against Lafora” in your language. Include your name and country in the email. Chelsea’s Hope will edit a compilation video and share it publicly on October 1st.

We would like one participant per country so it doesn’t get too long, and we will update this post with the list of countries represented as we receive submissions:

If your country is already represented, don’t worry! There are many other ways to join in raising awareness…

Other Ways to Raise Awareness

We invite you to create awareness on October 1 by sharing your story, the stories of the Children of Chelsea’s Hope, educational posts, or encouraging others to watch the Fighting the Rare documentary. 

Families, we encourage you to contact your local news networks to see if they will feature your story. You can email us if you would like support in sharing your story with press outlets.
We invite everyone to join the #FightLafora social media challenge…

#FightLafora Social Media Challenge

One way to raise awareness on Lafora Body Disease Day 2026 is to join the #FightLafora social media challenge. We love seeing how you’ve used the hashtag on your posts and will reshare what we can!

Want to join? Here are the steps:
1. Write “United against Lafora” in your language (this can be holding up a sign, by creating a painting, on the side of your coffee cup…)
2. Take a photo (bonus if you’re wearing purple or your Chelsea’s Hope gear)
3. Share it on your social media
4. Tag us or DM us your photo! Use #FightLafora

+ You can also tag three friends to join the challenge to create awareness about Lafora.


Coffee for Chelsea’s Hope Fundraiser

October 1st is also International Coffee Day, which is why we have a unique fundraiser this year: Coffee for Chelsea’s Hope.

We are asking supporters near and far to donate the amount of your typical drink to advance our mission. Your $5 gift (or $10, we see you, Venti lovers) might not cost you much, but will make a big impact for our cause.

The campaign will run from September 24-October 8, 2026. We will have a special coffee lovers’ giveaway for supporters on October 9, too! 

Finally, you can host your own Coffee for Chelsea’s Hope fundraiser by clicking that “Fundraise” button on our campaign. One idea is bringing coffee into your break room at your office and asking for donations for every cup. Another idea for college students is tabling on your campus. Email us with any questions, and we will be happy to support your fundraiser however we can. Join here!

This annual effort to raise awareness about Lafora is one step toward achieving our mission of improving the lives of those affected by the devastating rare disease and helping to accelerate the development of treatments. Thank you for raising your voice. Together, we can fight Lafora!

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