Fun fact: People with EDS refer to themselves as a zebra when spreading awareness. The slogan you would hear is “When you hear hoof beats behind you, don’t expect to see a zebra.” The zebra became the symbol because those with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are the unexpected. “Sometimes when you hear foot beats it really is a zebra.”

Unless you know what to look for, EDS is a pretty invisible disease. Quite often people with EDS are invalidated when complaining about pain, since the pain is coming from the inside. Constantly being told “you look fine though” and being invalidated by numerous doctors, it has a toll on your mental health. Commonly people with EDS also suffer from anxiety and depression due to this universal experience.