Nihal Bitla, a boy who suffers from an ultra-rare genetic condition, recently celebrated his fifteenth birthday. The rare disorder, Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), makes him look like an old man. The condition ages Nihal’s body eight times faster than normal, leaves him bald, with heavy wrinkles and severely weakened limbs. The average life expectancy for children with progeria is 14, with many dying from a heart condition called arteriosclerosis, which usually affects adults over 60.
But Nihal blew out the candles on his 15th birthday cake recently, making him the oldest living child diagnosed with progeria in India. Nihal lives in Bhiwandi on the outskirts of Mumbai, and he is well-aware of his condition.”I have never felt that this is a disease, because I’m a special child. This is like a God’s gift to me,” said Nihal.
Barcroft TV covered Nihal’s story. Watch it here:
Nihal is the same kid whom Aamir Khan met on Christmas.
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