By the age of 17, Burns's body was worn out like that of a 90-year-old.
Sam Burns, 17, from Massachusetts, died of old age. When the boy was almost two years old, he was diagnosed with a terrible diagnosis - progeria. This is one of the rarest genetic defects. With progeria, changes occur in the skin and internal organs, which are caused by premature aging of the body. Due to the LMNA gene mutation, all tissues and organs of children suffering from Progeria age 5-6 times faster than their peers. Their deaths in adolescence are usually associated with diseases that usually occur in people in old age (atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, kidney failure).
According to statistics, one person in a million suffers from this disease. Children with progeria live an average of 13 years. Nevertheless, Burns managed to win a partial victory over a rare disease - he lived to be 17 years old.
Sam Burns Pen
© HBO
Last year, the documentary Life According to Sam was released about a Massachusetts teen who brought Sam worldwide fame.
“He was an amazing boy: people changed internally after one meeting with him,” said John Seng, one of the founders of the Progeria Research Foundation, which helps children with Progeria.
Sam was very fond of hockey, and after the release of the film about him, he became a friend of the Boston Bruins. Before the start of one of the games of this team, Sam took part in a symbolic throw-in of the puck. He was called "inspiring to life."
Sam Burns family
© HBO