First Black Child on Earth to Have Aging Disease

Ontlametse doing some classwork in the midst of her classmates 

Little miss Ontlametse Phalatse is a 12-year old girl whose wish is to live like every other kid around her. But nature has something different in stock for her. She has been diagnosed with progeria, a genetic condition that causes a person to age very quickly.

Upon close examination, doctors say she is only expected to live another two years. There's no reliable data yet to ascertain the prevalent the disease world, but the Progeria Research Foundation said the number of children diagnosed has risen from 48 to 80 in recent times.

Ontlametse's mother, Mrs. Bellon Phalatse, said her child looked normal when she was born, but that it didn't take long to realize that something was wrong. By her first birthday, her hair was falling out. To make matters worse, the child's father left the family when the little girl was only three. "It was horrible, I don't know how to explain what we went through," she added.

So far, only two African children have been diagnosed with the disease and they both live in South Africa.