A teenage tiktoker has died. Her biological age was determined to be 152 years old

Beandri Booysen died at the age of 19, as her mother announced on social media. The girl suffered from a very rare genetic disease – progeria, which accelerates the aging process of the body. According to the Progeria Research Foundation, only 400 people in the world struggle with it.

Beandri Booysen is dead

Symptoms of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria appear in early childhood. When Beandri Booysen received a devastating diagnosis at a young age, doctors said she would not live beyond the age of 14. Despite this, the girl did not give up and wanted to positively use the time she had left. She dedicated herself to raising awareness about her disease on social media. She gathered hundreds of thousands of followers whom she inspired and motivated with her publications.

“Despite the challenges she faced, Beandri radiated hope and joy. It has become a symbol of awareness about progeria. She used her unique spirit to inspire thousands of people around the world,” wrote the 19-year-old’s farewell on the Facebook group “Beandri, our inspiration”.

As the tiktoker’s loved ones recall, Beandri Booysen was “one of the most beloved and inspiring young women in South Africa.” Significantly, she was also the last living person suffering from progeria in this country. The girl was 19 years old, although the average life expectancy of patients with this disease is 15 years. Experts estimated her biological age at 152 years.

It is worth adding that the cause of progeria is a mutation in the LMNA gene, which is responsible for the production of a protein necessary for proper functioning. Rarely is this gene hereditary, and usually the abnormalities that cause the disease are random. The cause of death in most people affected by this disease are problems with the circulatory system, such as heart attack or stroke.