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Woman ages seven times faster than normal

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Claudia Amaral. (Photo: MEDIA DRUM WORLD/MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA)
Claudia Amaral. (Photo: MEDIA DRUM WORLD/MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA)

Meet the woman with a rare condition that ages her seven times faster than normal.

Claudia Amaral from Viseu in Portugal was just four months old when she started showing symptoms like hair loss, wrinkles and pigmentation of the skin.

In 2000, as a one-year-old, she was diagnosed with progeria – a genetic childhood condition characterised by premature ageing.

Doctors told her family that Claudia (now 20) may die soon but that the average age for girls with the condition was 13 or 14 years.

Ever since she was diagnosed Claudia has defied the odds, growing up with a supportive family and friends who’ve treated her as an equal.

Her progeria age is 140 years and she’s had several hip replacements due to bone wear.

But Claudia hasn’t allowed her health problems to stop her from going out with her friends and wants to prove that the condition doesn’t limit her in any way.

“At four months I began to have hair loss, skin pigmentation, wrinkled skin and weight loss,” Claudia says.

“At the time doctors told my parents that I could die that day still or the next day.

“Progeria is a disease that ages you seven times faster than normal. All the problems of an elderly person come up – bone problems, heart problems, and so on.

“I never felt different from my friends or people around me. I was always treated the same, also at school.

“Even today people do react to me. For example on the street, often people stop and watch, others comment. Many approach me and ask what my disease is called, and ask me how old I am.

“It's like everything, people have good reactions as well as bad reactions.”

Claudia Amaral

There are only 350 to 400 children living with progeria worldwide.

Claudia has made it her mission to show the condition won’t hold her back.

“Progeria hasn’t prevented me from doing anything. I live my life as if progeria doesn’t live inside me,” she said.

 “I’ve never really had any tough times with progeria. Even when my hip goes out of place because of bone wear, I don't feel pain.

 “My recovery has always been good. Doctors have told me to rest after my hip replacements, but I just forget about the rest and I go out with my friends, dancing and all sorts of things.

 “The times that were supposed to be difficult, or seen as great battles, are overtaken by great success. I feel very good, nothing has knocked me to the bottom as it was supposed to.

 “I try to fully embrace my condition when I go to events for children with the same disease or to routine hospital appointments.

 “I have a perfect family and a large group of super friends who are always there to support me. My friends say I’m a great warrior in a battle that could have been impossible to win.

Claudia Amaral

“Of course I’ve already won because I exceeded the progeria average age. So I think I’ve won the game and will continue to win, I hope.

“The disease doesn’t prevent us from doing anything, we have to stop it from winning. If we depend on a disease, we’ll never overcome all the obstacles that progeria presents to us.

“We have to think positive and live as if we’re killing progeria.”

Source: Magazine Features

Pictures: MEDIA DRUM WORLD/MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA
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