The Italian Progeria Association announced that Sami Basso, who was the longest-living patient of the hereditary progeria disease (it may affect one in eight million newborns), died on Saturday at the age of 28. A Reuters according to
Progeria, also known as Hutchinson-Gilford Syndrome (HGPS), causes people to age rapidly, resulting in reduced quality of life and a life expectancy of as little as 13.5 years without treatment.
Sami Basso was born in 1995 in Schio, in the Veneto region of northern Italy. He was diagnosed with progeria when he was two years old. In 2005, he founded the Italian Elders Association with his parents.
Sami National Geographic Sami's journey He became famous through his documentary that tells the story of his journey along US Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles with his parents and one of his close friends, Ricardo. “Today our light and our leader went out. We thank Sami for allowing us to be part of this wonderful life,” he wrote on the association’s Instagram page.
There are only 130 recognized cases of progeria worldwide, four of which are in Italy. However, the Italian Progeria Association estimates that there may be up to 350 cases, as they are difficult to trace, especially in developing countries.
