英國‧女童早衰症‧如百歲老人
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英國14歲少女奧金斯天生患有早衰症,令她的衰老速度是一般人8倍,身體年齡已有105歲。醫生曾斷言她活不過13歲,但樂觀的奧金斯近日不僅迎來14歲生日,還出版自傳《未年輕便老去》(Old Before My Time)。
奧金斯(Hayley Okines)1999年確診患有罕見的早衰症,自小看來就像古稀老婦。她在自傳描述自己和母親如何面對早衰症。因為這疾病,奧金斯的皮膚像紙一樣薄而脆弱,骨質極疏鬆,非常容易折斷。一般早衰症患者平均年齡不超過13歲,大多死於心臟病發或中風。但奧金在書中樂觀地寫道:“我對未來也有規劃。我想我會長大,我也會結婚。媽媽說,會有一個特殊的人,無視我的疾病,視我為唯一。”
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Radio star: Hayley with her best friend at school before a hip problem forces her to learn from home
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Check-up: Hayley is no stranger to hospitals. Her heart is currently strong thanks to the multiple medicines that she takes
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Hayley wearing a headscarf: The teenager now regularly wears a brunette wig
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Old before my time: Hayley and her mother Kerry watch her book hit the presses
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Justin meets Hayley: The kind-hearted pop star gave Hayley front row tickets to see his show
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Hayley is shown having trouble shopping for clothes. She says she is an expert at finding things in the children's section
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