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London: Though she may look like over 100 years of age, Rochelle Pondare is 18 years old, who’s suffering from extremely rare disease, called Progeria.
The condition, which has left the brave girl with a body of 144-year-old, makes her age prematurely, creates difficulty in walking and leaves her short of breath among other problems.
The teenager was diagnosed with Progeria when she was five years old, and with only 100 children around the world have the condition that often do not live beyond their early teens, she is already one of the oldest Progeria patients in the world.
The brave girl, who has six siblings, keeps a carefree attitude, dresses up stylishly, and even works on her family’s fruit and vegetable stall, where she is popular with customers for her cheerful and friendly personality.
Rochelle will be featured in a new series of Body Bizarre, which will follow her as she is accepted on an international research trial, and invited by the charity Project Michelangelo Foundation to undergo tests at Boston Children’s Hospital in the USA.
She will be screened for the new drug, called Lonafarnib, which has been shown to reduce organ and vein damage, delaying the ageing effects of Progeria.