by Suman Gupta
It was like any other day on the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati. After the usual shoot of the Q&A, Amitabh Bachchan was taken aback when he met the 13-year-old Shreyash Barmate. It was the meeting of the real & reel Paa & the sawaal jawaab happened in Filmi style. Shreyash Baramate who hails from Jabalpur living with Progeria and for many years wished to meet Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. Shreyash is one of those estimated 60 children who is living with Progeria.
After the meeting, Shreyash said, “Its dream come true for me, Amitji spoke very fondly and asked me about my hobbies and daily routine. I also told him about how much I liked the Auro character played by him in the Paa movie. Amitabhji assured me to meet again.” He also handed him a gift he had carried personally for Amitabh Bachchan.
Currently, the Progeria Research Foundation has launched the campaign ‘Find the Children – 60 in India with Progeria’ in order to locate and assist children with this rare and fatal rapid aging condition. The India search calls for the public’s help in finding undiagnosed children with Progeria, so they can have access to treatment and healthcare guidelines that can give them longer, more active lives.
This meeting was organized by the Progeria Research Foundation in association with their Indian communication partner – MediaMedic Communications.
About Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome: Progeria, also known as Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is a rare, fatal genetic condition characterized by the appearance of accelerated aging in children. All children with Progeria die of heart disease—the same heart disease that affects millions of normal aging adults–at an average age of 14 years. Other symptoms of Progeria include stiffness of joints and hip dislocation, growth failure, loss of body fat and hair, and aged-looking skin that gives them a unique appearance in all Progeria children, despite differences in ethnic backgrounds.
About the Progeria Research Foundation: The Progeria Research Foundation (PRF) was established in 1999 to find the cause, treatments, and cure for Progeria – a rapid aging disease that causes children to die from heart disease or stroke at an average age of 14 years. Research conducted in partnership with PRF has identified the gene that causes Progeria, a treatment and other possible treatment candidates for which clinical drug trials are in progress or being planned. To learn more about Progeria and what you can do to help, please visithttp://www.progeriaresearch.org.
