The Daily Ping

[ No, I can’t send you information or pictures for your school report. Read the comments. ]

I usually don’t get overly serious when I write Pings, but with the introduction of the store, I figured I’d explain a bit about where half of the proceeds are going to.

Progeria is an extremely rare genetic aging disease. It affects one in every 4 to 8 million children; there are currently about 45 diagnosed cases worldwide, for a total of about 100 diagnosed cases in the last century. Progeria causes the affected children to age internally at seven times the normal rate, meaing a 10-year-old child with Progeria has the respiratory and circulatory problems of someone his grandfather’s age. It’s an extremely sad disease, as there is no cure and there is little research being done because of its rarity. Children generally live only into their early teen years, with the oldest Progeria child living to 21.

I became interested in Progeria about four years ago when I saw an episode of Jerry Springer (of all things) and was moved like never before. The kids affected by this disease had an incredible will to live and had the most positive outlook on life. So, I started the web’s first resource page on Progeria. Thanks to movies like Jack, the epsiode of the X-Files titled “Young at Heart,” and a recent special on the Discovery Channel called Old Before Their Time, hundreds of students and interested people have visited the site looking for more information. I’ve also had the pleasure of talking with a number of families affected by the disease, giving me a deeper insight.

But nothing, nothing, touched me more than attending the 19th Annual Progeria Reunion this past June. As you can see, I took dozens of pictures and had a chance to hang out with the kids and meet families I had only talked to online. I was especially honored to be mentioned by Bill Sample, founder of the Sunshine Foundation, during his opening speech of the reunion.

Which brings me to where half of the proceeds from the Daily Ping store are going to. The Sunshine Foundation is a Make-a-Wish-type foundation that grants wishes for terminally ill children, including those affected by Progeria. The Sunshine Foundation also organizes the yearly Progeria reunion. Everyone has “a cause,” and this one is mine.

Thanks for indulging me in this unusually serious Ping. We’ll return with a lighter topic next time. 🙂 -ram

Posted in Miscellaneous