Progeria: The Rare 'Aging Disease'

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The chance of having a baby with Progeria is about 1 in 4 – 8 million (“Progeria 101/FAQ"). That means that there are approximately 200-250 people diagnosed with Progeria in the world at any point in time (Progeria 101/FAQ"). Sam G. Berns was among that small amount until he passed away early this year, on January 14th, from complications of Progeria at the age of seventeen. He was an intelligent junior who attended Foxboro High School in Foxboro, Massachusetts. During his life, he reached the level of Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts, was a percussion section leader in his high school band, spoke at two TED conferences, and was interviewed on national television (ABC and NPR). His hometown is a mere 10 miles from my own, causing me to learn about his life’s journey from the community. At seventeen years old, he had the body of a one hundred and thirty-six year old man. For those who have Progeria, aging is eight times faster than the average person and starts within the first years of life ("Children Living With Progeria”). Sam’s inspirational life was the central reason for my decision to research the biology behind Progeria and seek knowledge of the lives of those who have been inflicted with it.
Before researching, I knew little about Progeria’s causes, treatments, and symptoms. All I knew was that children living with it had similar appearances due to their premature aging and that they would pass away at a young age. After the death of Sam Bern, I asked my mother, a nurse practitioner, if she had ever seen a patient dealing with Progeria. She replied saying yes that she had during her time at Children’s Hospital in Boston. The boy she had seen was bright spirited despite his constant pain, and was determined to live as best as p...

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...ordon. Peabody, MA: Progeria Research Foundation, 2010. 17. Print.
NIH/National Human Genome Research Institute. "New Clues about Aging: Genetic Splicing Mechanism Triggers Both Premature Aging Syndrome and Normal Cellular Aging." Science Daily. Science Daily, 14 June 2011. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
"Progeria 101/FAQ." Progeria Research Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
"Progeria Clinical Trials." Progeria Research Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Apr. 2014.
"Sunshine Foundation� The Original Wish Granting Organization." 24th Progeria Reunion. Sunshine Foundation, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
"WE DID IT! First-ever Treatment for Progeria Discovered!!" Progeria Research Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
"What Causes Progeria? - Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome." What Causes Progeria? - Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

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