Hayley Okines, Who Battled Progeria, Dies At 17

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Hayley Okines, the British teenager whose battle with an extremely rare condition that causes rapid aging, has reportedly died at 17.

Okines was diagnosed with progeria, which according to doctors caused her body to age about eight times as fast as an average human.

Okines' mother Kerry posted on her Facebook page: "My baby has gone somewhere better. She took her last breath in my arms at 9:39 p.m."

The Guardian reported that Okines raised a significant amount of funds for medical treatment and to educate the public about her condition. She was featured on a number of

She published an autobiography, "Old Before My Time," at 14. She lived in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex.

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