Delaware Valley Carcinoid & NET Connection
Serving Philadelphia, surrounding counties, Southern New Jersey, & Delaware
Promoting Awareness and Advocacy
THE PHILLY CONNECTION
The Zebra Connection
Hoofbeats
The DVCC has adopted a zebra through the Philadelphia Zoo's adopt-an-animal program. The zoo is happy to offer its support of this effort which our support group calls "Hoofbeats" since this rare cancer has the zebra as its icon. Since our mission includes creating awareness of these diseases in both the medical and patient communities, the consensus was there was no better or interesting way to make a statement. The Zoo is the first zoo in the USA to join this awareness campaign. On Saturday October 4 the Zoo holds "Adopt Day" for all ADOPT Parents. We will hold a special event at the zoo in honor of our zebra (Susie) and to celebrate life.
In the medical community, the term "zebra" is universally understood as a reference to an orphan, or rare disease or condition, Carcinoid and other NETs being one of them. Physicians are taught the core tenet of medical diagnosis - to assume that the simplest explanation is usually the best, i.e., it is generally more productive to look for common rather than exotic causes for disease, hence the phrase "If you hear hoofbeats,think horses, not zebras."Hence, the zebra is the icon for carcinoid and all rare cancers.
