Sammy Basso died on Saturday at the age of 28 after visiting a restaurant. Born in 1995 in Schio in the province of Vicenza in northern Italy, the biologist Basso was diagnosed with progeria at the age of two. In 2005 he and his parents founded the “Italian Progeria Association Sammy Basso” (Aiprosab).
Famous for documentary film
Basso completed his natural sciences studies at the University of Padua in 2018 with a thesis on therapies to slow the progression of his disease. He lived in Tezze sul Brenta (Vicenza). The biologist became famous through the National Geographic documentary “Sammy’s Journey”. He tells about the trip through the United States that Sammy took with his parents and one of his best friends from Chicago to Los Angeles. Basso also appeared frequently on Italian television.
Aging rapidly due to a hereditary disease
Progeria, also known as Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome (HGPS) causes people to age rapidly and appear physically older than their actual age. They have a reduced quality of life and, without treatment, a life expectancy of 13.5 years. Disease-related aging, which begins in childhood, is caused by gene mutations. The disease affects one in eight million people at birth.