MICHIEL Vandeweert, from Belgium, has progeria - an extremely rare genetic disorder that causes people to age rapidly.
He turned 23 years old this June, well-surpassing doctor’s prognosis of his condition of only reaching age 12.
He told Truly: “I’m basically a very old person in a very small body.” The condition causes health issues, Michiel has regular check-ups with doctors but lives a comfortable life.
However, day-to-day his condition can affect his ability to do tasks that others would take for granted.
Michiel explained that “picking things off the top shelf or opening a bottle, that’s very simple for normal people, but for us, it’s really hard because we’re not that strong and we’re very short.” Two years ago he began streaming video games on Twitch.
This has led to a range of reactions on social media: “The positives have been that people have found a lot of inspiration in my streams, the negative reactions are mostly that I look weird and different," he said.
Despite this, he doesn’t let the trolls get him down: “I just always try to see the funny side of it," he said.
Michiel has a 15-year-old little sister called Amber, who also has the condition.
They have a close bond and support each other through the ups and downs, knowing that they are living life to the fullest.
“What I would like people to know about my condition is that we might look very different from normal people, but we are just as normal as anyone else on the inside.” Follow Michiel here - linktr.ee/MichielVandeweert
