Progeria Research Paper Essay Example
Progeria disease affecting children and their parents
Never assume that a person with wrinkled skin is an old person without knowing the truth. In 1886 a rare disease called Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome better known as Progeria was identified. A gene called “lamin A” causes this uncanny disease (Popular Environmental Graffiti). Today 1 out of 8 billion babies are approximately born with this disease (Progeria Research Foundation). This disease was known to affect children and parents all over the world in different ways. Children with Progeria are mostly born looking healthy and normal until they turn 18-24 months. During this time the doctors and people notice them aging fast. Some of the most common symptoms are: wrinkled skin, small and fragile bodies, small jaws, large head, loss of hair, pinched nose and many others (Popular Environmental Graffiti). These characteristics mainly affect these children with Progeria.
An interview was made in the 2001 to a child who suffers from Progeria. He was called John Tacket, and he was 13 years old at that time. He wanted to do this interview to show everyone that Progeria kids are not different from any other normal boys and girls of their age. He tells us how sometimes it affects and bothers him a lot when people aren’t discreet towards him. John also says that he prefers people to come up to him directly and ask him, instead of them just staring (John Tacket, Progeria Research Foundaiton). He also discuses about how it also affects him physically, how sometimes they have to make alterations and explains how he feels about it:
“It's hard to play basketball - I need a smaller ball and a shorter hoop, which I have at my house so a lot of times my friends come over to play basketball. Sometimes I get tired, but I just sit down for a couple of minutes and then I'm ready to go. A lot of times it's my friends that want to rest before I do! I have a hard time carrying a lot of books, so I leave 5
Never assume that a person with wrinkled skin is an old person without knowing the truth. In 1886 a rare disease called Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome better known as Progeria was identified. A gene called “lamin A” causes this uncanny disease (Popular Environmental Graffiti). Today 1 out of 8 billion babies are approximately born with this disease (Progeria Research Foundation). This disease was known to affect children and parents all over the world in different ways. Children with Progeria are mostly born looking healthy and normal until they turn 18-24 months. During this time the doctors and people notice them aging fast. Some of the most common symptoms are: wrinkled skin, small and fragile bodies, small jaws, large head, loss of hair, pinched nose and many others (Popular Environmental Graffiti). These characteristics mainly affect these children with Progeria.
An interview was made in the 2001 to a child who suffers from Progeria. He was called John Tacket, and he was 13 years old at that time. He wanted to do this interview to show everyone that Progeria kids are not different from any other normal boys and girls of their age. He tells us how sometimes it affects and bothers him a lot when people aren’t discreet towards him. John also says that he prefers people to come up to him directly and ask him, instead of them just staring (John Tacket, Progeria Research Foundaiton). He also discuses about how it also affects him physically, how sometimes they have to make alterations and explains how he feels about it:
“It's hard to play basketball - I need a smaller ball and a shorter hoop, which I have at my house so a lot of times my friends come over to play basketball. Sometimes I get tired, but I just sit down for a couple of minutes and then I'm ready to go. A lot of times it's my friends that want to rest before I do! I have a hard time carrying a lot of books, so I leave 5