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A young Ukrainian girl with a rare genetic disorder is set to travel to America for a ground-breaking treatment.
Iryna Khymych (8) from Vinnytsia in Ukraine suffers from progeria – a rare condition that causes a child’s body to age fast, according to WebMD.
Due to the incurable disorder, Iryna’s body ages eight times faster than other kids.
When the little girl was two months old, her skin reportedly turned red as the symptoms of the disorder started to show. By the age of two, she’d lost all her hair and started suffering from joint pain. Her skin became so thin that her veins became visible, especially on her head.
When she was five years old, the youngster suffered a stroke, partially paralysing the right side of her body. Thanks to her loving parents’ concern and care, Iryna, who needs around-the-clock attention, managed to regain some feeling in her body but still needs more rehabilitation.
In an attempt to help her daughter, Dina Khymych contacted the Progeria Research Foundation, established by American paediatricians, and received an invitation to treat Iryna at their clinic in Boston in the US for free.
“We’ve been included in a programme where new drugs are used to treat progeria,” Dina says. “Hopefully these drugs will stop the development of the disease."
Iryna is one of around 150 children worldwide who suffer from progeria.
According to Boston doctors, she’s the only one who’s kept her nails – thanks to her mother’s care.
Children with progeria typically live into their mid-teens.
Source: Magazine Features
Pictures: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA
