National Sarcoidosis Day—also known as Sarcoidosis Awareness Day—is a day observed internationally in the month of April every year. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about Sarcoidosis—a condition that causes small patches of swollen and red tissue known as granulomas to develop inside the body’s organs.

This awareness day grew out of Sarcoidosis Awareness Month and has been celebrated as a holiday since 2019. Anyone with this condition, who knows someone with this condition, or just wants to raise its public profile can observe this holiday every April 30th.

The History of National Sarcoidosis Day

This holiday was created by the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research in April 2008. It started out as Sarcoidosis Awareness Day at first, but National Sarcoidosis Day was eventually established in April 2019. It’s a holiday that has been celebrated ever since.

Facts About Sarcoidosis

Below are some facts about Sarcoidosis that everyone should know, sourced from the American Lung Association:

Sarcoidosis most commonly affects the skin, lymph nodes, and lungs.

It’s a rare disease with fewer than 200,000 cases in the U.S. each year.

African Americans are three times more likely to be diagnosed with this condition than Caucasians.

In some cases, this disease can be life-threatening and turn into lung or heart disease.

Observing National Sarcoidosis Day

People who have this condition are encouraged to host informative events in their communities to raise awareness of this disease and to help raise money for research aimed at eliminating it.

These events can be walk-a-thons or other types of fundraising events. It’s also strongly recommended that people wear purple on this day to raise awareness about this holiday. People can also spread the news about it using the hashtag #NationalSarcoidosisDay on the internet.