The Italian scientist Sammy Basso, recognized for giving visibility and studying his own illness, the progeriaa rare syndrome that causes premature aging, died at age 28.
The young man began to feel unwell while dining at a renowned restaurant in Asolo (Veneto, Italy) when he died.
The news was announced by chef Sergio Dussin through a publication on his Facebook profile. “This afternoon my great friend Sammy Basso flew into the sky, he was having dinner at Villa Razzolini Loredan with his friends, a great man who taught us that life is beautiful and that we must live it well“, said.
Sammy Basso died in Italy while dining at a restaurant. He was 26 years old.
The sad news was later confirmed by the Italian Progeria Association Sammy Basso Onlus. “Today our light, our guide, went out. Thank you Sammy for having made us part of this wonderful life,” announced the association that he created to inform about progeria and raise funds for scientific research.
Born in Schio (Veneto) on December 1, 1995, the young man had managed to become a symbol of the disease he suffered from, thus helping to make visible a little-known syndrome. In 2005, he founded the association that bears his name with the aim of supporting dissemination and raising funds for scientific studies.
The scientist studied his own case and sought to raise awareness.
At the age of 22, he graduated in Natural Sciences from the University of Padua, where he completed a thesis on possible therapies to slow down the development of his disease. Just a few weeks ago, I had returned from a trip to China.
Although he lived between surgeries and treatments, Sammy Basso always presented himself with a smile, which is why he became an example of life.
Basso was diagnosed with progeria when he was 2 years old.
What is progeria
Sammy suffered from Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome (HGPS), popularly known as the disease of premature aging. It is a very rare genetic disease, characterized by premature aging that affects one in 20 million people. Children who suffer from it usually look like old people.
The diagnosis of the syndrome occurred when Basso was just over two years old. The baby was not growing, something that surprised his parents. It was then that doctors gave him 13 years to live. However, his parents never gave up and began to search, study and travel to other countries and continents in search of solutions, especially to America, where most of the studies on the disease are found.
There are several recognized faces who have wanted to show their admiration for the young man and their pain at his departure through social networks. “A loving and moving thought for Sammy Basso, who left us at just 28 years old. Thanks to his courage and determination, he made progeria known to the world, becoming an example of strength and hope. “His commitment to the investigation and his testimony will forever remain a precious heritage for all of us,” Italian Disability Minister Alessandra Locatelli said on Facebook.
His recent trip to China, the last before his death.
Your visibility
Basso achieved international notoriety for his multiple appearances in the media, always raising awareness about the existence of his syndrome, and starred in a well-known ‘National Geographic’ documentary about a trip across the United States.
Basso had been decorated by the Italian president.
In 2019 he had to undergo surgery for a problem in his aorta artery, the first time for a patient with progeria, and shortly after he was named a knight of the Order of Merit by the president of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella.
