Everyone hates seeing and some fear signs of the march of Time on our bodies. That would explain the huge adspends (and revenues) of hair colouring products (removes grey) and anti-wrinkle, anti aging creams- just to name a few.
At least these people have had a chance to experience life for some years.
Nothing could be more tragic than a condition called Progeria- Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome.
Derived from a Greek word, it means 'prematurely old'.
I guess that terms explains it all.
I met a child with Progeria in Bhuj, he was on his way for treatment to Mumbai. The boy was just past half way into his first decade yet had the appearance of a very old person. I shall never ever be able to forget him.
Progeria is a rare genetic condition that is fatal on average by the time the child is 13 years old. Most children with Progeria have a gene mutation (the LMNA gene) that encodes the protein lamin A. The cause is not known and children are usually born healthy. signs of aging usually appear at 1 and 1/2 to 2 years of age.
Research for treatment, ways to improve longevity and quality of life are on.
These are some useful links for more information:
The Progeria Research Foundation
Progeria FAQs
Progeria Research
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