6 Things to Know About Sam Berns Who had Progeria
If you have heard about progeria, then you might have heard about Sam Berns too! And those who have neither heard about progeria nor Sam Berns, here you go. Progeria is a genetic disease that affects one in every 8 million infants and unfortunately, Sam Berns was one among them. The 17-year-old young boy died of this disease on January 10, 2014. One off the most visible characteristics of this is striking premature aging. Victims lose body fat and hair and show an inability to gain weight. By the time they reach 13 years, they look very old and suffer from conditions like osteoporosis.
Coming to Sam Berns, a Massachusetts high school junior and an inspirational teen, he shocked the world with his amazing mental strength. He had a highly positive outlook towards life and wanted everyone to be happy. Through the feature-length documentary ‘Life According to Sam’, a profile in the New York Times Magazine in 2005 and through a talk he gave at a TEDx conference, young Sam became the public face of progeria. His messages during his TEDx talk are the biggest proof of his attitude towards life. “No matter what I choose to become, I believe that I can change the world,” he said. “And as I’m striving to change the world, I will be happy.” If you like to know more about Sam Berns, check out 6 things about him here.
1. Sampson Gordon Berns was born on October 23, 1996 in Providence, Rhode Island. He was the only child of pediatricians Scott Berns and Leslie Gordon. Sam was diagnosed of progeria shortly before his second birthday.
2. Soon after Sam’s parents came to know about his disease, they also learned that there was no research being conducted for this rapid aging condition. So, the family founded the Progeria Research Foundation, the only non-profit organization dedicated to treating and finding a cure for the disease.
3. As a student of Foxborough High School, Sam was very active. He joined the marching band, played a specially designed snare drum and took part in his school’s homecoming dance. His passions included the HBO show ‘Game of Thrones’, Boston sports teams and the Dave Matthews Band.
