Rare disease awareness

THE Spanish Butterfly Children Charity (DEBRA) marked International Rare Diseases Day on Tuesday, February 28 by calling on the government to provide more resources for hospitals specialising in the rare condition.

Butterfly Skin or EB, a rare and incurable genetic condition, causes extreme fragility of the skin and can lead to both external and internal wounds covering up to 80 per cent of the body. With only two national centres for Butterfly Skin in the country, patients face delays in receiving vital care and treatment, which can have serious consequences.

DEBRA, the only national organisation offering support to families in Spain with Butterfly Skin, aims to raise awareness of the challenges faced by families and the lack of resources available.

To further highlight these challenges, DEBRA is holding a social media campaign, ‘With you for a lifetime’, featuring eight families affected by Butterfly Skin disease and the barriers they face.

The Butterfly Children Charity, founded in 1993 by parents of a boy with EB, works to improve the quality of life for families through co­ financing research projects and raising awareness of the disease. More resources for hospitals specialising in Butterfly Skin are essential to ensure patients receive the care they desperately need.

Driving if you are over 65

THE General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has launched information about the new requirements for motorists over 65 years of age when renewing their driving licence in Spain. Although there is currently no age limit in Spain to continue driving on the road, the DGT does make it a requirement to have a psychotechnical review within the period of time stipulated by the Traffic and Road Safety Law. In addition to this review, drivers 65 years of age or older who want to renew their driver’s licence must present the following documentation when applying to renew their driving licence:

• Official application form.

• Psychophysical aptitude form.

• An updated photograph.

• The DNI, NIE or valid passport.

Regarding the tests of the psychotechnical review, those interested must take an anticipation and coordination test, a hearing and visual capacity test, and a general health test, as reported by a local news source.

Hunting licences

HUNTING licences in Spain are currently at the lowest of the last 20 years.

While 85 per cent of the land surface of the country is classed as hunting grounds, licence applications have fallen by nearly 40 per cent since 2001, with 678,000 people now officially registered. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the drop is mainly due to the hunting population growing older with younger generations failing to take over.

After months of tension and heated debate, the Spanish government finally decided to leave hunting dogs out of the new Animal Welfare Law due to pressure from hunting organisations. Hunters staged a number of demonstrations last year, with some protests peaking at an estimated half a million participants, demanding to be left out of the law as they claimed it could lead to the end of hunting in Spain.

MOTHER’S DAY falls on Sunday March 19 this year. Be sure to treat your mother to something special whether it be chocolate, flowers, or candles, your mother is worth it.

The origin of Mother’s Day spans as far back as Ancient Greece, when Greeks used to hold an annual spring festival dedicated to the maternal Goddess Rhea, mother of the Gods and to the early 1900s where the origin of Mother’s Day was founded by Anna Jarvis.

The day is an event to honour the contribution of mothers, acknowledge the efforts of maternal bonds and the role of mothers in our society and the sacrifices that mothers have made for their children.

Here are some smile worthy facts to think about on the lead up to this Mother’s Day.

• Mother’s Day is the biggest flower buying day of the year in Britain with sales increasing up to 70 per cent

• It’s one of the most popular days of the year for eating out

• Carnations are the flower typically associated with Mother’s Day

• Around 30 million cards