15-Year-Old YouTube Star With Rapid Ageing Disease Passes Away

A 15-year-old girl who lived with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria, a rapid ageing condition, and who amassed a millions-strong following on her YouTube channel, has died of her condition.

Adalia Rose, from Texas, is one of only 500 children across the world to have the disease, which is sometimes referred to as 'Benjamin Button disease' after the book and film of the same name.

Adalia gathered a fan base of 2.91 million subscribers on YouTube and 379,000 Instagram followers which documented her life and interests. It also involved posing n her favourite clothes and hanging out with her friends and family.

In a statement following her death, her family said:

"January 12, 2022 at 7pm Adalia Rose Williams was set free from this world. She came into it quietly and left quietly, but her life was far from it. She touched MILLIONS of people and left the biggest imprint in everyone that knew her. She is no longer in pain and is now dancing away to all the music she loves. I really wish this wasn't our reality but unfortunately it is. We want to say thank you to everyone that loved and supported her. Thank you to all her doctors and nurses that worked for YEARS to keep her healthy. The family would now like to mourn this huge loss in private."

Speaking in 2018 about her daughter's condition Adalia's mother said:

"When Adalia was born, I think it was she was like a month old and they weren't happy with her growth. That was one of the symptoms that first popped up and then it was also that the skin on her tummy was really tight and just different looking. At three months, she received her diagnosis, and soon started losing her hair. Her veins also became visible, and her skin thinned out. I was a single mom at the time, so when I got the diagnosis I was alone. It was just her and I and I honestly felt lost."

Among those to pay tribute to Adalia was Jennifer Lopez's designer Michael Costello who had given Adalia dresses on her 13th birthday. They posted:

"People always ask me who my favourite celebrity is to dress, and I always struggle thinking of a name. For me, the most rewarding part of it all is how my dress makes them FEEL. When someone wears Michael Costello, I want them to feel beautiful, confident, and absolutely fearless! Thank you so much Adalia for giving me the chance to dress you!"

[Based on reporting: The Daily Mail]