Progeria is a rare condition that causes children to rapidly grow. It is called this because Progeria comes from the Greek word “prematurely old.” Less than 1,000 people worldwide are affected by this. . The classic type of Progeria is Hutchinson Gilford Syndrome. There is no cure for the disease r but there is medicine that can slow aging and progressions of it. Symptoms such as slow growth and hair loss begin to show in the first or second year of life. Additional symptoms include a narrowed face, small lower jaw, head disproportionately large for the face, thinning, spotty, wrinkled skin, and visible veins.
An Ohio woman, Tiffany Wedekind, has the disease that is making her body twice her age. She is currently a 45 year old woman living in an 83 year old body, but still making everyday valuable. Tiffany’s brother had the syndrome and sadly passed away. Her brother died at the age of 39 after discovering he had it at the age of 31.When he died, they started to do tests to try and prevent it from taking Tiffany as well. The chances of getting Progeria are 1 in 20 million people, which is extremely rare. The average life span is 14 years for someone who is diagnosed.
The Progeria Foundation is a foundation that helps educate people that don’t know what it is or need to know more about it. They talk about the disease itself as well as patients that had it and their experiences because of it. The website helps raise awareness about Hutchinson Gilford Syndrome and I am positive everyone is very grateful for this foundation.
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