Crisis Text Line Partners with Raregivers to Expand Mental Health Support for Rare Disease Community
NEW YORK, CA, UNITED STATES – March 9, 2026 – Crisis Text Line has announced a partnership with Raregivers Inc., a global network dedicated to providing emotional support to caregivers, patients, and professionals within rare, chronic, and complex disease communities. This collaboration aims to increase access to mental health support for those navigating the challenges of rare diseases.
Expanding Access to 24/7 Crisis Support
Crisis Text Line, a global nonprofit, offers free, 24/7, confidential text-based mental health support in both English and Spanish. Through this partnership, individuals within the rare disease community can now access this support by texting RARE to 741741 (English) or RARAS to 741741 (Spanish) to connect with a trained volunteer Crisis Counselor.
Addressing a Critical Need
The partnership recognizes the significant emotional toll that rare diseases take on individuals and families. According to Cristol Barrett O’Loughlin, CEO of Raregivers Inc., “Here’s the rare truth: when life gets medical, people get emotional. Crisis support is critically needed for the 1 in 10 families living with rare genetic diseases – conditions with no cures.” She highlights that distress, depression, and anxiety often surface during challenging moments, such as late at night or in emergency room settings.
Supporting Caregivers and Beyond
Jana French, Community Partnerships Director at Crisis Text Line, emphasized the importance of reaching caregivers, stating, “Caregivers of people with rare diseases shoulder an extraordinary and often invisible burden—managing complex medical needs while navigating isolation, uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion.” The partnership aims to provide support at the moments it’s needed most, acknowledging the unique pressures faced by this community.
Multiple Ways to Connect
Crisis Text Line offers support via text message, web chat, and WhatsApp, in both English and Spanish. To connect with a live, trained volunteer Crisis Counselor, individuals can:
- Text RARE or 443-SUPPORT via WhatsApp (English)
- Text RARAS or 442-AYUDAME via WhatsApp (Spanish)
- Text RARE to 741741 (English)
- Text RARAS to 741741 (Spanish)
- Connect via web chat
About Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line is a global mental health organization providing free, 24/7, confidential support through a text-based platform. Since its launch in 2013, the organization has supported over 12 million conversations in the United States and more than 17 million globally, with the facilitate of 120,000 trained volunteer Crisis Counselors. Learn more at www.crisistextline.org.
About Raregivers Inc.
Raregivers Global is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the mental and emotional health of caregivers, patients, and professionals within rare, chronic, and complex disease communities. The organization has provided over 1,550,000 hours of free wellness care and training to over 565,500 families and physician teams across 38 countries. Learn more at www.raregivers.global.
Contact Information
Erick Edwing, Senior Vice President, Health, Havas Red, erick.edwing@havas.com
Cristol Barrett O’Loughlin, Founder & CEO, Raregivers Global, coalition@raregivers.global
Vanessa Showalter, Crisis Text Line, email us here