A resident of the United States turned out to be one of the oldest among those who prematurely aged as a result of the rare disease of progeria (Hutchinson-Guildford syndrome). This is reported by the Daily Mail. Tiffany Wedekind of Columbus, Ohio was only diagnosed with Progeria as an adult. As a rule, doctors make such a diagnosis to a child in the first two years after his birth, while the average life expectancy of a patient is 12 years.
Doctors considered Tiffany's case unique as she lived to be 41. The woman weighs only 26 kilograms and is 135 centimeters tall and suffers from tooth loss, hair loss and heart problems. However, despite her health condition, the American practices yoga and runs a cleaning company. In 2012, her 39-year-old brother Chad died of the disease. Then the woman's parents worried that their daughter would also overtake an early death. “I knew I was different from the rest, but it didn't bother me. I liked my personality, - says the American. "But when my brother passed away, I suddenly realized that this could be the end of my life."
According to Tiffany, the parents decided to figure out the causes of their children's illness when Chad's health became critical. Then the family members were examined and learned that Tiffany and her mother Linda (Linda Wedekind) suffer from progeria. The doctors were surprised that Linda did not show symptoms of the disease in her entire life. The doctors concluded that Tiffany's mother can also be recognized as one of the oldest carriers of Hutchinson-Guildford syndrome. According to the newspaper, only 156 cases of premature aging have been officially recorded in the world.