Chronic Disease Day 2026: Who Do You Stay Strong for?

On Chronic Disease Day, we recognise the resilience of the millions of people living with chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), while raising awareness of the challenges they face every day. This year, we asked patient research partners in PerPrev-CID to reflect on what keeps them going, what they hope for, and who they stay strong for as they navigate life with a chronic inflammatory disease. Jane Giudice, who lives with RA, finds strength in the people around her and in the hope of a better future for everyone living with a chronic disease:

"I stay strong for my family, my precious grandchildren, whose future inspires me every day, and for every person living with a chronic disease. Living with multiple chronic conditions has taught me resilience, but it has also shown me the importance of hope, research, and true partnership between patients and researchers."

Living with a chronic inflammatory disease often brings challenges that affect many aspects of everyday life. By sharing these experiences, patients help researchers better understand their needs and priorities, ensuring that research is informed by the people it is designed to benefit. For Jane, this begins with ensuring that the patient perspective is not only recognised, but an essential part in research:

"Every challenge I face strengthens my determination to ensure that the patient voice is heard, respected, understood, and embedded in research. I believe that our lived experiences are invaluable in shaping better healthcare. By working together, we can improve prediction, deliver more personalised care, and create a healthier future with better outcomes for current and future generations."

For patient research partner Vasiliki-Rafaela Vakouftsi, who lives with Crohn's disease, staying strong means standing alongside others living with inflammatory bowel disease. Her words reflect the everyday realities of living with a chronic condition and the importance of research that responds to patients' needs and experiences. They also speak to the resilience of people living with IBD and the hope that research can make a meaningful difference in their lives:

“I stay strong for every person living with IBD who has had to fight through pain, fatigue, stigma, uncertainty, and invisible symptoms while still trying to live, study, work, dream and belong. I stay strong for our community, for earlier answers, better care, and research that truly reflects our lives so that prediction and personalised medicine can help people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis live fuller, freer lives.”

Jane's and Vaso's reflections remind us that meaningful research begins with partnership. By bringing together patients, researchers and clinicians across Europe, PerPrev-CID aims to turn that collaboration into research that supports earlier prediction, more personalised care and, ultimately, better outcomes for people with chronic inflammatory conditions.

➡️ Discover more voices of our IBD and RA community here.