Sam Berns was a teen who suffered from a genetic disorder called Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. This is a disease that causes accelerated aging, loss of body fat and hair, and an inability to gain weight. Sam weighed 50 pounds when he died this Friday at the age of 17. Even though most people with this disease only live to be about 13 years old, Sam continued to stay positive even when the odds were against him. He is an inspiration to many and he has proved that having a positive outlook can affect many people. Sam was supposed to be an honorary captain at the Patriots vs. Colts game, but sadly he passed away less than 24 hours before an incredible moment in his life. Instead they held a moment of silence for the young man who touched so many lives. Sam is a great example when it comes to staying positive and not letting sickness affect the way that you live. I can't imagine the kind of strength it takes to stay positive through all the negativity that surrounds progeria. Sam couldn't overcome his progeria, but he was able to continue to live his life to the fullest and not let his disease keep him from doing so. Click here to read the full article.
Do you think you would've been able to have that attitude while being affected by progeria? What would you do if your life expectancy was only 13 years old?
Replies
Good job again Emma! Not sure why people didn't respond much to this topic.
Being positive so hard to do, especially when you are only expected to live 13 years. Maybe that is the reason he lived 4 years longer than he was supposed too, maybe it was because he had such a positive attitude.
I think that is a great point. Maybe the fact that Sam was so positive in his thinking added years onto his life.
It would be hard to stay as positive when I had a disease, that I knew I would probably only live until I was 13. People would probably give me weird looks, and I wouldn't really fit in. Having only 13 short years to live, I would try to do as much as possible. Enjoy the simple things, and yet have a lot of fun on the side. I really respect Sam Berns for what he managed to do during his life and am sorry that he lost his life.
I didn't even think about the way other people would treat you because you were different, but that is a great point. It would be hard to fit in when you were so different than everyone else, which is why Sam staying positive is so incredible.
I think if I were diagnosed with a disease such as progeria I would try harder to live every day to the fullest. I would try to make the most of my short life.
I agree with you about living life to the fullest, but I don't know if I would have been able to stay positive through it all.
That's wild I don't think I could have held it together as well as Sam did. Its to bad he couldn't have made it to the game, but awesome that he made it as long as he did