
South African media have been reporting on the meeting of President Jacob Zuma and a young South African woman who suffers from Progeria, a rare genetic disorder that causes premature ageing.
Ontlametse Phalatse turns 18 this weekend, despite being told by doctors growing up that she would not live beyond the age of 14.
One of her life wishes was to meet the president before she turned 18.
She fulfilled her ambition to meet the head of state on Wednesday in the capital, Pretoria, with two days to spare before her birthday.
Mr Zuma’s office has been sharing photos of the pair’s meeting:
Ms Phalatse cut her early birthday cake with the president…
The president told Ms Phalatse that he would help her realise her next dream of her mother owning a home, with the help of his foundation.
Progeria Symptoms
Most kids with progeria look healthy when they’re born, but they start to show signs of the disease during their first year. Babies with progeria do not grow or gain weight normally. They develop physical traits including:
- A bigger head
- Large eyes
- A small lower jaw
- A thin nose with a “beaked” tip
- Ears that stick out
- Veins you can see
- Slow and abnormal tooth growth
- A high-pitched voice
- Loss of body fat and muscle
- Hair loss, including eyelashes and eyebrows
As children with progeria get older, they get diseases you’d expect to see in people age 50 and older, including bone loss, hardening of the arteries, and heart disease. Children with progeria usually die of heart attacks or strokes.