As the year draws to a close, we arrive at a season that, for many, is filled with light, celebration, and moments of joy. It is also a natural pause, a time to look back with gratitude and forward with intention. And what a year it has been.
2025 was a busy, ambitious, and deeply impactful year. Across Europe and beyond, inherited lipid disorders moved closer to the centre of health and policy conversations. We saw patient voices shape discussions at the highest political levels, new research collaborations take root, and long-standing advocacy translate into tangible progress. Awareness campaigns reached record numbers of people in dozens of languages, while rare and inherited conditions gained visibility where they had long been overlooked. Communities came together, both online and in person, to learn, advocate, and support one another. From global scientific milestones to moments of shared connection within our network, this year reminded us what is possible when focus, determination, collective expertise, lived experience, and purpose align.
None of this would have been possible without the people behind the progress, and I would like to take a moment to express my deepest personal thank you.
My sincere gratitude goes to FHEF community, to our Network Leaders and Ambassadors, whose leadership, courage, and lived experience give meaning and credibility to everything we do. To our friends, partners, and allies, thank you for standing with us and for believing in the power of collaboration. I am deeply thankful to our consortium partners for their collaboration, trust, openness, and shared commitment to innovation and patient-centred change.
A special and heartfelt thank you goes to our industry partners. Through collaboration, commitment, and continued support, you have helped turn ambition into action and made progress possible in meaningful and responsible ways.
I am also profoundly grateful to the FH Europe Foundation Board and to the many volunteers who so generously contribute their expertise, time, support, and donations. Your guidance strengthens our direction and ensures our work remains grounded, credible, and impactful. Last but not least – to the FH Europe Foundation Team — thank you. Every day, you show up with dedication, professionalism, and determination, committed to delivering the very best for the communities we serve. Your passion and resilience are at the heart of everything we achieve.
Beyond the milestones, the meetings, and the achievements, there is something even more important to remember.
Everything we do represents the interests, the needs, and the lives of millions of people. Behind every policy discussion, every research project, every awareness campaign, there is a person. A family. A story. Every person matters. Every life matters.
This festive period invites us to slow down, even briefly, and reflect on what truly matters. Why we do what we do. How we show up for one another. And how each of us, in our own way, can make the biggest positive impact in the lives of others, and in our own lives too. No act is ever too small. Compassion, listening, kindness, and solidarity all have power — often more than we realise.
As we celebrate, let us also hold space for those who may be alone, facing uncertainty, or going through a difficult time. Let us think of peace, of humanity, of love, and of unity — values that connect us beyond borders, roles, and disciplines.
I wish each of you the opportunity to rest, to recuperate, and to re-energise. May this season offer warmth where it is needed, connection where it is missing, and hope where it feels fragile. And may we carry this sense of purpose, care, and togetherness with us into the year ahead.
Warm seasonal wishes to you and your loved ones.
Magdalena Daccord
Chief Executive Officer
FH Europe Foundation
