Rare Disease Doesn't Keep Boy From Baseball Field

Summary: Just 7 years of age, 27 inches tall, and 15.5 pounds. His name is Josiah Vera, a young boy suffering from the rarest disease on Earth, Progeria. Josiah's doctor, Dr.Colleen, said it was hard to tell how old he was. He looks like an average 60-70 year old. He was told he was expected to live for 8 to 13 years. In Spring 2010 though, he told the Little League of his town that his dream was to play baseball. Of course thay couldn't say no to such an adorable kid. At the end of his fist game, there were tears running down Josiah's face, he didnt want his experience to be over. Doctrs didn't even know if he was going to be able to last through his first game, but he did it. Later on, Josiah got to play in 4 games. The news spread and abut 1,000 spectators came to watch him at his final game. The next season, Josiah went back t play. "He loves the game for the game. Not win or lose--it's just love", his grandfather said. After his experience, he's had a lot of people come up to him to greet him. Many see him as their hero. Josiah didnt let his condition stop him from following his dream.

Analysis: Josiah must go through a lot of struggles. Suffering from progeria is everything but easy. This little 7 year old kid inspires many to follow their dreams. There is no limit once you set a goal for yourself. No disease or disability is strong enough to limit ones abilities. He got to experience baseball, his favorite sport, his love. Josiah is a great example of a strong unique human being.

Reflection Questions:
1) Was he treated the same as the other kids on the team?
2) Was he able to complete every task in order to succeed in the game?
3) Is Josiah still in good conditions?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/Family/rare-disease-body-age-rapidly-stop-boy-playing/story?id=14029162

The Science Behind Progeria

http://www.progeriaresearch.org/the_science_behind_progeria.html

Why?

Progeria, caught my attention the moment I found out. It's a very rare disease which causes rapid aging in children. I was watching TV one night when I came across a documentary about a little girl named Haley Okines diagnosed with this disease, which has now become my inspiration. It was shocking to see what the little girl had to go through. It really interested me since it's so rare, I just wanted to know more. Once we were assigned to pick a topic I knew this was the right one since it's really what I want to know more about. What really is Progeria and how does it affect the lives of children diagnosed with the disease?