So while going through some Instagram feeds, I stumbled across a medical term I wasn’t familiar with – Progeria and decided to research and see what exactly it’s about. I’m telling you I couldn’t keep the tears at bay reading about this disease. It’s a very rare but fatal genetic disorder in which symptoms resembling aspects of aging are manifested at a very young age. The children are actually born healthy but the symptoms start to appear as early as 18-24 months. My heart breaks as I go through the pictures of innocent kids with this deadly disease.
Quick description, progeria also known as Hutchinson-Gilford Syndrome [HGS] causes a child’s body to age really fast and symptoms include a bigger head, larger eyes, high pitched voice, hair loss, very visible veins, slow and abnormal tooth growth. These kids suffer severe body pains and certain diseases associated with old age, the average lifespan is 14yrs, with the children usually dying of heart attack or stroke. Most of them can’t go to school because of social stigmatization. Surprisingly, it’s not in any way hereditary as parents and siblings of said child hardly suffer from it although there’s a family in India with 5 progeria children. Absolutely disheartening as there’s no known cure for this disease.
But you know what? Progeria doesn’t affect a child’s intelligence or brain development at all. They are still children full of life and in almost all the pictures I saw, they still put a smile on their face for the camera.
Now, I don’t know why exactly I wrote this piece but it’s just so saddening and I felt the need to share. But this is for every child out there suffering from one disease or the other, every kid going through pains for nothing they’ve done wrong, you’re special, you’re unique and I truly hope you’ll fight and not let any weakness weigh you down, still go out with your head up high and when it’s all over, you can finally go home to where you belong, where there’s no pain or sorrow, no illness or sadness. To every parent, friend, sibling of any child with one disease or the other, I pray the good Lord grants you strength to remain strong and supportive. There isn’t much I can do yet to help and you might say the same too but I strongly believe few words of prayer from you and I could go a long way for someone else, I do hope this piece inspires someone out there too. Thanks for reading…
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