By Marissa Emery
and Cassidy Moore
Caswell School,
Grade 8 and 7
Progeria is an extremely rare genetic disease of childhood characterized by dramatic, premature aging. The condition, which derives its name from “geras,” the Greek word for old age, is estimated to affect one in 43 million newborns worldwide. A chance of having a baby and it have progeria is 1 in 4 million. Only about 54 kids in the U.S. have progeria. This disease increases the aging in your body. Your body ages, for every year, it ages 7 years. Most kids only live from the ages 9-13. There is not a cure that can make the aging stop, but there is something that can extend their life.
Sam Berns was a 17-year-old boy with progeria. His mother found a cure to extend his life expectancy. In October in 2013 he talked about his philosophy of a happy life. He said to be okay with what you ultimately can’t do, because there is so much more you can do. Another lesson was to surround yourself with people you want to be around, to keep moving forward, and to never miss a party if you can help it. Sam inspired a lot of people, showed them how strong he was, and to appreciate what you have, and not so much of what you want.
