The world’s longest-living progeria sufferer has died aged 28.
Sammy Basso was having dinner with family and friends on Saturday (5 Oct) evening when he suddenly felt unwell.
Emergency medics were dispatched to the restaurant and tried to resuscitate the young biologist, but their efforts were in vain.
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Sammy suffered from progeria – a rare genetic disorder characterised by premature and rapid ageing.
Sufferers generally appear healthy at birth.
But during their first year, symptoms such as slowed growth, loss of fat tissue, and hair loss begin to appear.
The average life expectancy for an individual with progeria is about 15 years.
Sammy was believed to be the longest-living progeria sufferer.
Just a few weeks before his death in Asolo, north-eastern Italy, he had returned from a trip to China.
And the evening before his passing, he was awarded the Paolo Rizzi Journalism Prize in the “Environment and Society” category in Venice.
The organisers cited “his willpower, spirit of sacrifice, and the courage that sustains him”.
Sammy was born in Thiene on 1 December 1995 and lived in Tezze sul Brenta.
In 2005, he founded the Italian Progeria Association to spread knowledge about his condition and to encourage research into it.
He graduated from the University of Padua with a degree in Natural Sciences in 2018.
His thesis explored a possible cure for progeria through genetic engineering.
In 2019, he was made a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by President Sergio Mattarella.
He graduated again from the University of Padua in 2021 with a master’s degree in Molecular Biology.
His thesis explored the correlation between progeria and inflammation.
His dream was to work at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, as reported by Need To Know.
Progeria is not hereditary and is instead caused by a mutation in the LMNA gene.
The mutation likely occurs in a single sperm or egg immediately before conception.
There are about 70 children with the disorder worldwide, most of whom will die from heart problems or strokes.
Basso is survived by his parents, who said: “We are deeply grateful for the privilege of having shared part of our journey with him.
“He taught all of us that, even though life’s obstacles may sometimes seem insurmountable, it’s worth living it fully.”
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