Dan Jeffries
AUTHOR | PRODUCER | SPEAKER
Well hello there!I'm Dan Jeffries - rare disease advocate, music producer and advocate for positivity and a better life. Good to have you here.Use the menu links above to discover more about my different projects. Keep in touch via the buttons below.
© Dan Jeffries. All rights reserved.
MUSIC
"Without music, life would be a mistake." - NietzscheI've been writing and producing music for many years, under the names [sic], Balls Deep and - most recently - Rate & Follow.Visit the R&F Microsite below for latest news and releases.
Me, Myself & Eye
In 2012, I was out having dinner, telling the tale of my rare disease journey. Someone casually suggested I should write a book. And so I did.In 2015, Me, Myself and Eye was published - and life has never been the same since.
My story? I am the proud owner of two rare diseases, one affecting less than 1 in 50 million people.
Contact
Whether you're looking for a dynamic speaker at your event or just want to say Hi, I'd love to hear from you.
Thank you
I'll be in touch.
Every child faces challenges at school. The first obstacle for me to overcome contained two of the most terrifying syllables in the English language: rugby.For the first time in the school’s four-hundred-year history, a boy was exempt from playing rugby: and that boy was me. Doctors at the Eye Hospital felt that the vascular activity around my eye and brain was a serious enough issue that I shouldn’t engage in any contact sport. The fear was that this arteriovenous malformation (or ‘the worms’ as our family called them) could become damaged if I took a hit, and potentially cause bleeding in the brain. I think there were also concerns that somehow the syndrome could pass over to the other eye, or in some way damage the eye. I didn’t really understand — I just knew I would never experience the joy of a sticking my head between another boy’s legs.And, if I’m being honest, I was pretty happy about this. I couldn’t think of anything worse than humiliating myself on a cold, wet field pretending to be rough and tough and like I could see what I was doing. I remember Dad telling me he had to play rugby at school and that, if anyone ran towards him, he’d simply throw the ball in the air to get it as far away from himself as possible. I think we’re both cut from the same rugby cloth.So, for the first two years of school my sport of choice was badminton. Yes, hurly, burly badminton. Twice a week I would head down to the gym, clad in shorts and white t-shirt, to play against boys in the 3rd and 4th form who had fulfilled their rugby duties for the past two years and had wisely decided to seek sporting glory elsewhere. Surprisingly, I was quite good at badminton, but it’s just not rugby, is it? And there’s no doubt that when you’re in an establishment that recognises sporting achievement so highly, someone scoring the winning try in the dying seconds of a game will probably grab the limelight over me beating Kev Morgan 21-18. Thankfully, there was always drama.
ADVOCACY
Raising awareness about living with rare conditions has now become an important part of my life.I am a Volunteer Ambassador for The Pituitary Foundation and a Trustee for Medics 4 Rare Diseases, who do invaluable work to encourage medics and medical bodies to recognise the importance of rare disease in medical training.IG > #daretothinkrare
Speak. Engage. Inspire.
Over the past few years I've had some wonderful opportunities to share my story to a wide variety of audiences - from charities to pharmaceutical companies and even rotary clubs!See what others have said about my talk 'Being Rare'.
If your business, organisation or event is looking for an engaging and inspiring life story, click the button below.
