AGING FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH: A Young Girl’s Bout with Progeria

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Ana Rochelle Pondare, fountain of youth, progeria, Tahanang Walang Hagdanan

Progeria patients look the same regardless of nationality

“You come to me.” Struggling to muster her words in English, she makes awkward gestures with her tiny fingers to signify she has something important to say.

Although preoccupied, Sister Marike Gielkens is compelled to put off her activity to lend an ear. “What is it?” her soft, sympathizing voice inquires. More than four years of tending to her needs has taught Sister Marike to listen to what the child feels just like everybody else and to pay close attention to her myriad moods.

With a deep gloom on her face, the young girl whispers, “You know what? I will never have a baby.”

Sister Marike, who is a 72-year old Belgian nun, never imagines such thoughts would come to a young girl. “Why?” the nun tries to delve into the issue of pregnancy in the eyes of a child.

“Because I’m too small,” she remarks with wit, but her innocence almost breaks the nun’s heart. Actually, the nun knows that the child’s real problem isn’t her height but her life span. Ana Rochelle O. Pondare is too young to be too old. She is one of 45 children in 23 countries around the globe afflicted with a rare, fatal disease known as progeria, which causes her body to age 10 times faster than normal.

Even though Rochelle’s appearance hints at a person who should be much older, she is living life as any other 9-year-old. Running, jumping, dancing, and smiling as she joins her playmates, Rochelle seems as normal as any other child.

“The first time I met Rochelle, I knew something was wrong with her,” says Sister Marike, who has encountered such case for the first time in her 40 years of charitable work for the disabled in the Philippines.

Hair loss, wrinkling of skin, and a petite stature-all signs of progeria-already are overcoming Rochelle. Sister Marike recalls, “She was 5 years old then, but she was small for her age…way too small.” Bald-headed and rawboned as she was, her eyes protruded and her “beak-like” nose became prominent.

Coming from a poor family of four, Rochelle never been to school neither to medical center for check up. While her mother ekes out a living and her father drowns in alcohol, Rochelle takes care of her siblings. “I help my mother do household chores. I wash dishes and clean the house,” she says.

Full of compassion for the odd child, Sister Marike, who is also a board member of Tahanang Walang Hagdanan, asks the parents if she could take Rochelle for medical examination. Tahanang Walang Hagdanan in Cainta, Rizal serves as a haven for people with disabilities who want to make a difference despite being different. There Rochelle could be subjected for regular check up and proper schooling.

With no apparent cure and average life expectancy of 14 years, Rochelle’s mother understands what lies ahead for her daughter. Wanting to see her live each moment to the fullest in the meantime, Rochelle’s mother concedes to Sister Marike’s earnest request.

Dealing with the Unknown
Not many people know about progeria because not many people have it. There are only two reported progeria cases in the Philippines alone. Researchers identified the extremely rare genetic condition that results from a tiny point mutation in the child’s DNA, but they do not have a grasp yet of what really causes the syndrome to find a cure.

“When Rochelle was 2-3 months old, her parents noticed that her skin was different,” Sister Marike recalls her conversation with Rochelle’s mother. Both parents pass through several medical tests to determine hereditary traits that might have contributed to her disease. They found none.

Since no treatment is available, the only medication Rochelle takes is multivitamins. “As she gets older, she experiences more problems that older people get. She’s complaining of arthritis, difficult breathing, and severe tooth ache,” Sister Marike explains.

Progeria victims have similar appearance regardless of racial and ethnic background. They survive to an average of 14 years old, with most succumbing to heart disease.

Mentally, however, Rochelle is more than normal. She’s very attentive in class and learns easily. Already in Grade I, Rochelle loves English, Maths, and Filipino. “She manifests mix levels of mentality. Sometimes she thinks as a child, sometimes as an adult.” Helen G. Casbadillo, house matron at the Tahanan says.

Savoring the Moments
Ironically, most people fear the physical drawbacks of aging-skin wrinkles, hair loss, joint stiffness-but not Rochelle. Aging came by on her as early as she could remember. She doesn’t even know how it felt to have soft skin on her face and long, shiny hair on her crown.

“You’re beautiful,” Rochelle comments while sitting on Sister Marike’s lap one time.

“Why?” Sister Marike inquires with sincerity.

“Because you’re taller than I am,” the child exclaims, devoid of any pretense.
Sister Marike and Rochelle’s family don’t want to hope for something that would only last for a moment. Life maybe cut short, but it will end beautifully for Rochelle because she affects people’s lives for the better. Her existence constantly reminds one to take advantage of the gift of life. After all, it’s not the quantity but the quality of life lived that matters most.

“What really matters is not what she has lost but what is left,” Sister Marike ends.

Toddlers and Tiaras…Wahaha!

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beauty, body dysmorphic disorder, breast implants, toddlers and tiara

Essie showed me pictures of toddlers-looking-like-dolls on the Internet, she said they were from the television series, Toddlers and Tiaras.  The new documentary show on TLC features three families per episode on their quest for cash, crowns and fame…but (they may not admit it!) at the expense of their toddlers. Like a beauty pageant, their little girls and boys parade around wearing makeup, spray tans, false eyelashes, fake teeth and hair.

This show has instigated a lot of complaints from appalled viewers, claiming that dressing girls like grown up women seems to suggest, if not promote, pedophilia in a subtle way. Quite true, watching kids sashayed their butts in skimpy dresses may signal something sensual to perverts. As for the contestants themselves, they will grow up believing that in order to be beautiful, one has to put thick makeup on, wear false eyelashes, don fansy clothes, etc. At an early age, these kids will have a notion that they can attract attention and admiration by investing on their body. Later in their life, who knows if one of them will acquire body dysmorphic disorder and will start seeking and thanking plastic surgeons at age 17 like Aubrey Wills! 

According to statistics, there is a growing number of teens wanting to augment their breasts as if it is a new fashion statement. Like Wills, these girls are getting breast implants as graduation gifts from parents and relatives! In just a span of a decade (from 1992 to 2002), the reported number of women under the age of 18 who underwent breast implant procedures has tripled! In 2002, there were 3,095 girls reported to have undergone teen breast implants procedure. In 2003, there was a 24 percent increase (3,841 cases) in the number of girls receiving breast implants. This growing statistics on breast implants alone prove that more and more teens are getting dissatisfied about their body. Contestants from Toddlers and Tiaras may boost the numbers even more, lets wait and see until they’re 15 or so!

Some mothers on the show defended their actions saying that they won’t join the contest if their kids didn’t like what they are doing (really?!).

Mom, does she look like she's enjoying it?

Yeah, their kids look cute, alright! But I still watched the show with uttered disgust especially the spray tanning part! Those moms are completely ignorant of the tanning chemicals’ effects to their kids. DHA solution, which is present in spray tans,  contains lead, arsenic and mercury.  Talking about these poisonous chemicals, Linda Passariello of NewsChannel5, found that:

Arsenic and mercury are actually allowed because it was originally approved by the government for topical application, and was never meant to come in contact with lips, lungs or other sensitive membranes area that would allow it into the blood stream…all of the chemicals can be dangerous, but lead in particular is known to affect brain development. FDA officials said no one knows the effects spray tans have on a baby.

I have this crazy theory why those moms push their toddlers and make so much effort parading their little ones. Maybe contestants’ moms are suffering from self-esteem issues and by joining their kids to this contest, they aim to boost their own self-image. With a satirical tone, I say kudos to those moms!

Private Talk: On Clearcutting the Forest

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beauty, hair removal, infections from Brazilian waxing, women

Some women will do everything to be sexually appealing even in exchange of their health. Although the procedures are extremely painful, there are women who wouldn’t care at all as long as they would get the desired effect. Say for instance the current widespread trend for the extensive removal of pubic hair known as Brazilian waxing.

The said way of ”clear-cutting the forest” promises to completely remove unwanted hairs all around the private parts from front to back. The procedure that lasts for 15 to 30 minutes starts off by covering the genital hair–pubis, vulva, and anus–with hot wax. Agonizing pain follows as the licensed professional rips the wax off! Ouch! All the pain women have to bear to have a smooth and hairless private part just for several weeks. A skin physiologist commented that “this business of bikini waxing is almost barbaric.”

Irishhealth.com reported in 2007 the pitiful state of a 20-year-old Australian woman who almost died from infection following the so-called Brazilian waxing. She had high fever, swelling on the waxed region, and rashes on chest, arms and neck. Her external genitalia was badly swollen that she was unable to pass urine, and the vaginal space was obliterated by edema. Although she was healed after given proper medical care, six months later she came back to the hospital with similar condition–and this time, because of shaving. It was found out that both her diabetes and low immune system made the effect of waxing infection catastrophic. Professor Lindsay Grayson, director of infectious diseases at Melbourne hospital, said (and I quoted):

“Many of these new beauty treatments may be fine for healthy people, but patients who have weakened immune systems should think twice about having these.”

Recently, this practice also caused an alarm in New Jersey after receiving complains from two women who were reportedly injured. At first, officials considered to push the ban on genital waxing, but later on they backed off.

Personal grooming and hygiene should enhance, not endanger, one’s health. Just a precaution from Wikipedia to those who prefer to be hair-free down there.

…the mucus membrane of the vagina is the most sensitive of the bikini area. Special attention must be paid to avoid irritation…The medical community has also seen a recent increase in folliculitis, or infection around the hair follicle in women who wax and/or shave their bikini areas. Some of these infections can develop into more serious abscesses that require incision with a scalpel, drainage of the abscess, and antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause of folliculitis. Recently MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, has been seen more frequently in health care facilities and other settings, and has been covered in many recent news reports. MRSA is resistant to the conventional antibiotics used to treat staph infections, however it can be treated with different antibiotic therapies.