A BTS fan named Ashanti Smith died of a rare disease called “Benjamin Button Disease.” The point of mystery is that this disease made her body look like that of a 144 years old lady! How’s that possible? A disease that enhances aging, doesn’t promote growth but increases the body’s age. Are you curious to know about the disease and the backstory? Well, then your cursor brought you to the right article!
Who is Ashanti Smith?
Well, Ashanti Smith belonged to West Sussex. Unfortunately, after battling with a serious disease called “Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome” she died at the age of eighteen. This is an ultra-premature condition of aging that caused her to grow eight more years for every single year she lived in the world.
Ashanti Smith fought with progeria and still remains a strong-willed person, the family mourns her death. After she left the world, her mother Louis Smith talked about her brave daughter telling that every person loved her. Further, Louis Smith told that from now onwards she would help the patients with Benjamin Button disease.
“Ashanti was aware of the fact that she will not be able to live a long life due to her illness, She contended with it and lived a happy life. She always made people laugh and won everyone’s heart with his positive words. We will always cherish her memories in our life,”
Louis Smith
The above statement clearly explains how contented the 18-year-old was in life despite the disease. Her ailment couldn’t break her strong personality and she proved to be a role model for many others suffering from this disorder. Soon after she celebrated her 18th birthday, she died. Reports claim that the mother prepared a “big funeral.” The funeral would also have BTS-covered music as the deceased loved the Korean band.
Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome | Why the body was of 144 year old lady?
This rare genetic (inherited from parents) condition is also called Progeria. Unfortunately, being autosomal dominant, one copy of the gene in each chromosome is enough for the disease to take place. One more name called “Benjamin Button” can be used which is after a movie called ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.’ It is one of the rarest diseases of the world that leads to the rapid aging of a child. This disorder does not let the patient survive after thirteen mostly. This group of diseases doesn’t see the caste or sex, it affects 1 in 4 million neonates.
Cause of progeria: The cause of progeria can be an LMNA gene mutation. This gene is specified to synthesize a protein that works to keep the nucleus of a cell together. However, when the gene is defective, it is unable to synthesize the specified protein. Instead, the defective protein Progerin leads to cell instability. Hence, this leads to instability in the nucleus that ultimately causes premature aging in children.
The newborn baby with this condition appears pretty normal. The symptoms appear during the first year of birth. They go through physical as well as internal changes in the body that includes the following factors:
Physical symptoms
- A very slow growth rate – they aren’t tall and possess a very slow weight gain
- A large sized head that is disproportional to the small face
- A small sized nose that extends forming a beak like projection
- They eyes are prominent and large but they suffer difficulties in their closure.
- A small sized jaw along with a thin and wrinkled skin
- Veins can be easily seen due to thinness of skin
- Slow growth of teeth
- Hair fall is very common
Internal signs
- Earlier in the childhood, affected individuals suffer arteriosclerosis (severe hardening of arteries) that leads to disturbed blood flow. Hence, chances of cardiovascular diseases increase.
- Loss of fat and muscular mass under the skin is common
- Skeletal abnormalities contribute to bone fragility. Sometimes they suffer from osteoporosis (bones become porous) too.
- Dislocation of hip and stiffness in joints.
- They become resistant to insulin.
Well, the way Ashanti Smith dealt with Progeria is an inspiration for everyone. She never let the disease affect the beautiful moments of her life. Moreover, she made loads of memories with her family and friends. She left the world at a very young age but taught everybody a great lesson.
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