17-year-old boy Sam Burns died in the United States from a rare disease that causes the body to age prematurely.3 photos

Berns suffered from a extremely rare disease – progeria. Medical experts record only one case of this illness for every million people. The boy became the protagonist of the documentary film “Life from Sam’s Point of View.” This film, which explores the life of a “prematurely aged” teenager, was nominated for an Oscar and enjoyed great popularity among audiences. The gene responsible for progeria was identified over 10 years ago; however, the disease remains incurable to this day. People affected by premature aging typically live for an average of 13 years.