Progeria patient who looks eight times older her age rests at age of 19.
The 19-year-old girl who looked eight times older her age because of having a very rare disease where her body deteriorates faster than it should, has died.
Rochelle Pondare was teased as ‘batang matanda’ (old kid) because of her aged appearance because of her aging disorder despite her very young age.
Pondare died last Thursday but the family ket the news breakout early Sunday morning.
Experts have concluded that the young lady suffered from Progeria. According to the Progeria Research Foundation (PRF), based on the result of the examination they conducted to Pondare, she is eight times older than her age.
It means that she is over 100 years old when she passed away.
Progeria (Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome, HGPS, progeria syndrome) is an extremely rare genetic disorder in which symptoms resembling aspects of aging are manifested at a very early age. Progeria is one of several progeroid syndromes. The word progeria comes from the Greek words “pro” (πρό), meaning “before” or “premature”, and “gēras” (γῆρας), meaning “old age”.
The disorder has a very low incidence rate, occurring in an estimated 1 per 8 million live births. Those born with progeria typically live to their mid teens to early twenties. It is a genetic condition that occurs as a new mutation, and is rarely inherited, as carriers usually do not live to reproduce. Although the term progeria applies strictly speaking to all diseases characterized by premature aging symptoms, and is often used as such, it is often applied specifically in reference to Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS).
Scientists are particularly interested in progeria because it might reveal clues about the normal process of aging. Progeria was first described in 1886 by Jonathan Hutchinson. It was also described independently in 1897 by Hastings Gilford. The condition was later named Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome.