For those who aren’t quite familiar with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, you might wonder why we use the zebra to represent us..
If you see a zebra-print ribbon or hear an EDS patient keep referring to their love for all things zebra, there is a very good reason for that. That is our beloved mascot! In 1940, Dr. Theodore Woodward said to his interns “When you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras.”, in other words, “Don’t go looking for the most far-fetched diagnosis out there.”. That term is still used by doctors to this day. In the medical field they have been trained to look for the most basic and “logical” diagnosis. Since Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is a fairly new discovery (when I say new, I mean it is just now being mentioned to this upcoming generation of doctors in medical school) they consider it to be rare. Most EDS patients believe that rare and under-diagnosed are two completely different things. It is widely believed that Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is not in fact rare, but underdiagnosed due to the wide variety of symptoms. Doctors look at hypermobility as an independent diagnosis and don’t consider the other signs and symptoms to come up with a deeper diagnosis. Other symptoms being chronic pain, brain fog, gastrointestinal issues, velvety smooth and stretchy skin, eye problems, easy bruising, anxiety, etc.
With that being said, we have taken to the zebra as our “mascot” because of the famous quote from Dr. Theodore Woodward. In my opinion, nothing could represent us better.