Finding a Rare Friend

Makayla Allison’s daughter Lily was born with a rare genetic disease with many symptoms, complex challenges, and no diagnosis. As she grew older, one of the things she told her mother she wanted was to have friends like her, ones with the same health issues. That led Allison to create Someone 1 Like You, an online service that connects people with rare diseases with others with the same conditions. We spoke to Allison, founder and CEO of Some 1 Like You, about the genesis of the service, how it works, and why a diagnosis isn’t necessary to finding a connection.