A GIRL aged eight has died of old age in the Ukraine after suffering from a rare premature aging condition.
Anna Saikdon was diagnosed with Hutchinson-Gilford genetic progeria disease since birth, which is said to affect around 160 people worldwide.
It meant that little Anna’s biological age was nearer to 80, with medics paying tribute to a "wonderful" girl who spent much of her life battling ill health.
Anna celebrated her weight birthday in January – but only weighed 17lbs – and eventually died from multiple organ failure linked to the rare conditon.
Her grieving mother Ivanna had told earlier how she was “ready to sacrifice everything in order to make her daughter healthy”.
Timofey Nagorny, head of the Foundation of Ukrainian Volunteers, which supported Anna Sakidon's medical treatment, said: “Her only dream is to discover one day that the diagnosis of the doctors was wrong.”
Confirming Anna's death, Dr Nadezhda Kataman said the girl had been treated at Volyn Regional Children Medical Complex since birth.
“In January, Anna turned eight. For children with progeria diagnosis one year is equal to eight-to-ten years, so her real age was between 70 and 80,” she said.
“The child suffered from early ageing of her inner organs and body system. Her bones grew slowly while her organs aged rapidly. Such patients usually die from strokes. Anna suffered several strokes, and paralysis of her limbs.”
In a video when she was three, her mother showed Anna to the world and told she could walk well from the age of ten months.
By 11 months she followed her mother everywhere but was scared of light so could only go outside in the evening.
At the age of three she was happy to hug and kiss her teddy bear but didn't like kissing people.
Research in The Netherlands indicated that the condition affects one in 20million births.
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