"You're a wizard, Harry a Crigler-Najjar Syndrome Type 2 sufferer, John"

I had grown up believing the cause of my near-constant jaundice was Gilbert's syndrome, a benign and somewhat common condition.

Before leaving on a mission to Finland, I, like many other missionaries, first went to the MTC in Provo, Utah to learn how to teach and the finnish language. Whilst there, my jaundice attracted the attention of medical staff.

After a few tests (which I felt were un-necessary), I was finally taken to a specialist in the area. "You don't have Gilbert's syndrome but Crigler-Najjar Syndrome, type 2" I was told.

My first response was "Type 2? What's the difference with type 1?" to which this helpful doctor explained that a type 1 sufferer requires more treatment and do not live as long or comfortably as a type 2 sufferer as well as other subtle differences.

I'm lucky to be a type 2 sufferer. My heart goes out to those type 1 sufferers as well as anyone who has ever had to live with a genetic condition.

Crigler-Najjar Syndrome Type 2 is a benign condition: I frequently jaundice when I'm tired, hungry, ill or physical and especially so when any of these are combined. This is useful for others who can tell sometimes before I can how tired I am and when I need to go for a rest. I also fatigue faster than others, although it's hard to tell as I've always been like this and don't actually know any different.

Why share this? Well, many in the world suffer more or less to conditions that are very rare. I'm lucky to have a rare condition which is only benign. Others have to live with worse for conditions or diseases that are too rare for much research to have been done.

However we can all share in compassion and sympathy with others who were not as lucky as we have been. Compassion, sympathy share a common root in pathos, meaning suffering. We can all share help someone we know or don't suffer less by sharing their burden.