Teenager with rare condition that made her age eight times faster who inspired thousands online with her positivity videos dies just before Christmas: Parents pay tribute to daughter who dreamt of marrying and becoming a teacher
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Tragic Beandri Booysen who suffered from an extremely rare incurable disease that saw her age eight years for every one year of her short life has passed away - aged just 19. Brave Beandri from Pretoria, South Africa, was not expected to live past the age of 14 but refused to give up an became an internet sensation with over 269,000 followers.
![[Beandri was not expected to live past the age of 14 but refused to give up an became an internet sensation with over 269,000 followers. Her mother Bea (pictured left) confirmed on her daughter's Facebook page that she had lost her battle for life yesterday]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/19/08/93304613-14209141-Beandri_s_mother_Bea_right_confirmed_on_her_daughter_s_Facebook_-m-29_1734598218819.jpg)
Just two months ago the teenager who weighed just 12 kilos underwent open heart surgery and was recovering well and was determined to see in Christmas with her parents. She was born with the genetic mutation Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome which causes fast ageing in children combined with osteoporosis which makes bones brittle and break.
![[Just two months ago the teenager who weighed just 12 kilos underwent open heart surgery and was recovering well and was determined to see in Christmas with her parents]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/19/08/93304611-14209141-image-a-7_1734597627124.jpg)
Only one in 4 million babies are born with the incurable defect and Beandri was just one of 200 known sufferers in the world and the last sufferer in South Africa to die from the condition. She had been close friends with fellow sufferer Ontlametse Phalatse who died last year from the mutation aged 18 and was the only black sufferer in South Africa.
![[Beandri said in an interview earlier this year: 'I've been living with Progeria since birth and I am used to it and I've learned over the years to deal with all the challenges and surgery']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/19/08/93304617-14209141-Beandri_said_in_an_interview_earlier_this_year_I_ve_been_living_-a-35_1734598328075.jpg)
Beandri's mother Bea confirmed on her daughter's Facebook page that she had lost her battle for life yesterday and thanked all her fans worldwide for 'loving her deeply'. She said: 'It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Beandri one of South Africa's most beloved and inspiring young women who always radiated hope and joy.
![[Beanadri with fellow sufferer Ontlametse Phalatse. The two had been close friends before Phalatse died last year from the mutation aged 18 and was the only black sufferer in South Africa]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/19/08/93304605-14209141-image-a-6_1734597495597.jpg)
