Sammy Basso died at 28, the world’s oldest person with progeria

Italian scientist Sammy Basso, known for bringing visibility and studying his own illness, the progeriaa rare syndrome that causes premature aging, he died at the age of 28.

The young man began to feel ill while eating in a famous restaurant in Asolo (Veneto, Italy) when he died.

Chef Sergio Dussin announced the news by posting on his Facebook profile. “This evening my great friend Sammy Basso flew into the sky, he was having dinner at Villa Razzolini Loredan with his friends, a great man who taught us that life is beautiful and that we must live well“, said.

Sammy Basso died in Italy while eating in a restaurant. He was 26 years old.

The Italian Progeria Association Sammy Basso Onlus later confirmed the sad news. “Today our light, our guide, went out. Thank you Sammy for taking part in this wonderful world for us,” announced the association he created to raise awareness about progeria and raise money for scientific research.

He was born in Schio (Veneto) on December 1, 1995, and the young man succeeded in becoming a symbol of the disease he suffered from, which helped make a little-known syndrome visible. In 2005, he founded the society that bears his name with the aim of supporting dissemination and raising funds for scientific studies.

The scientist studied his own situation and tried to raise awareness.

At the age of 22, he graduated in Natural Sciences from the University of Padua, where he completed a thesis on possible therapies to slow down the development of his disease. Just a few weeks ago, I was back from a trip to China.

Although he lived between surgeries and treatments, Sammy Basso always presented a smile, which is why he became an example of life.

Basso was diagnosed with progeria when he was 2 years old.

What is progeria

Sammy suffered from Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome (HGPS), known as the disease of premature ageing. It is an extremely rare genetic disease characterized by premature aging that affects one in 20 million people. Children who suffer from it tend to look like old people.

The syndrome was diagnosed when Basso was just over two years old. The child was not growing, which surprised his parents. It was then that the doctors gave him 13 years to live. However, his parents did not give up and began to search, study and travel to other countries and continents in search of solutions, especially to America, where most of the studies on the disease were found.

There are many well-known faces who wanted to show their respect for the young man and their pain at his passing through social networks. “A loving and inspiring thought for Sammy Basso, who left us at just 28 years of age. Thanks to his courage and determination, he made progeria known to the world, becoming an example of strength and hope. “His commitment to the investigation and his testimony will remain a valuable legacy for all of us,” Italy’s Disability Minister Alessandra Locatelli said on Facebook.

His recent trip to China, the last before his death.

Your visibility

Basso gained international fame for her multiple media appearances, always raise awareness of the existence of their syndrome, and star in a famous ‘National Geographic’ documentary about a trip across the United States.

Basso was decorated by the president of Italy.

In 2019 he had to undergo an operation for a problem in his aorta artery, the first time for a patient with progeria, and shortly after the president of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, named him a knight of the Order of Merit.