英國‧女童早衰症‧如百歲老人
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。”
Radio star: Hayley with her best friend at school before a hip problem forces her to learn from home
Check-up: Hayley is no stranger to hospitals. Her heart is currently strong thanks to the multiple medicines that she takes
Hayley wearing a headscarf: The teenager now regularly wears a brunette wig
Old before my time: Hayley and her mother Kerry watch her book hit the presses
Justin meets Hayley: The kind-hearted pop star gave Hayley front row tickets to see his show
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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