Sammy Basso was an Italian scientist who died on October 5 at the age of 28, who fought to make progeria visible, a rare disease that he himself suffered from and that could be similar to the condition recounted in the film “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” , starring Brad Pitt.
The Italian Progeria Sammy Basso APS Association revealed the young man’s sudden death through a statement on Instagram.
“Yesterday afternoon, October 5, Sammy Basso passed away, suddenly, after a day of celebration surrounded by the affection of those who loved him. We are deeply grateful for the privilege of sharing a part of our journey with him. “He taught us all that, although life’s obstacles sometimes seem insurmountable, it is worth living it to the fullest,” the association expressed on social networks.
Sammy died in a restaurant in the Veneta city of Treviso, Italy, days after returning from a trip to China.
Basso dedicated himself to the research and dissemination of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, which he was diagnosed with in 1997, two years after his birth in Schio, Italy.
In 2005, the young man founded, together with his parents, the Italian Progeria Sammy Basso Association, which is dedicated to disseminating information about the genetic disease that only affects 1 in 20 million people, as well as raising funds to carry out scientific studies.
In 2018 he graduated in Natural Sciences from the University of Padua with a thesis on possible therapies to slow down the development of the condition. Basso was the oldest person in the world with progeria syndrome.
What is progeria?
Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome is an extremely rare progressive genetic disorder that causes premature and accelerated aging in babies, according to Mayo Clinic.
This disease causes babies to age rapidly in the first two years of life, although they usually appear perfectly healthy at the time of birth.
Progeria has no cure and the average life expectancy of a boy or girl with this condition is about 15 years, although others, such as the case of Sammy Basso, can live more than 20 years, although it is also rare.
Among the symptoms that this disease produces are:
- Slow growth
- Loss of adipose tissue
- hair loss
- Large head compared to face
- Small jaw, chin and mouth and thin lips
- Thin, blotchy, wrinkled skin
- Veins easily visible through the skin
- High voice
- insulin resistance
- Severe, progressive heart disease
