Girl, 14, Looks Older Than Mum, 50, Due To Rare Condition
This 14-year-old Chinese girl looks much older than her 50-year-old mum due to a rare condition that makes her face age at an unusually fast rate.
Xiao Li, better known by her nickname ‘Yiyi’, has been taken to several hospitals by her dad, identified only as Mr. Li, but no one has yet been able to help the family from Henan Province in China.
According to the news site Baidu, Mr Li has visited countless doctors but none have been able to provide the family with a diagnosis or treatment plan for their daughter.
Mr Li told Baidu that the lack of help from the health authorities has left the family feeling incredibly helpless.
Yiyi often asks her parents why they even gave birth to her as her condition makes life very difficult for the teenager.
According to the family, people often point at the teen and sneer while others directly make fun of her appearance.
Some Chinese reports said the girl is probably suffering from the rare genetic condition ‘progeria’, otherwise known as Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome, however the family has not received an official diagnosis.
The genetic condition results in faster than usual ageing and puts a huge amount of strain on the cardiovascular system which often results in limited life expectancy with most sufferers dying before their 20s.
Many netizens sent their best wishes to the family and said they hope some form of treatment for her condition can be found soon.