To mark International Rare Disease Day and the beginning of New Zealand’s first-ever Rare Disorders Month, Dame Cindy welcomed members of Rare Disorders NZ to Government House. As Patron of RDNZ, Dame Cindy also helped launch a new guidebook which will help support parents and caregivers when their child receives a rare disorder diagnosis. Worldwide, over 6000 disorders are classified as rare, and RDNZ advocates for the 300,000 New Zealanders living with one of those disorders.
![Dame Cindy joins Misty Kimura and her whānau as they sing a waiata](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_full_column/public/2023-02/DSC_1334-2_0.jpg?itok=4jm95cmq)