Hayley Okines – A Life to Celebrate

Hayley Okines was just like any other teenager: she loved clothes, shopping, and boy bands, and hated getting up in the morning. But she had progeria, which meant she aged eight times faster than normal, giving her the body of a 126-year-old. Her positive attitude and infectious smile charmed millions of people through her Extraordinary People TV documentaries. At the age of seventeen, in April 2015, Hayley tragically lost her battle to be the longest survivor of progeria, succumbing to pneumonia in the arms of her mother. This book tells Hayley’s story in her own words, continuing from the bestselling Old Before My Time. She reflects on the pains and perks of growing up with progeria – from the heartbreak of being told she will never walk again to the delight of passing her exams and starting college. Hayley considers mood swings, marriage, music, and what it’s like to be ‘famous’ and is heartbreakingly positive about a future that wasn’t to be.