An 18-year-old woman from Italy passed away due to a rare disease where she was trapped in the body of a child. Elena suffered from NUBPL mitochondrial disease which caused her body to age slowly and even organ damage.
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Only around 20 people have this rare genetic condition in the world. This teenager's life changed after doctors diagnosed her at age 10 with this disorder that ended her life on February 7.
18-Year-Old Trapped In Child's Body Dies To Rare Disease
The disease hinders your body from properly developing and causes symptoms such as seizures, spasticity, and intellectual disabilities. Elena grew up with organs that didn't function normally, such as her bowels and lungs.
Not only that, but Elena barely weighed anything. Elena's mother, Andreea, in a GoFundMe mentioned that Elena weighed only 15 kg at 15 years old. This turns out to be just 33 pounds, and as for height, she was only 3 feet 7 inches tall.
Even though it was a tough battle, Vanity Fair reported that Elena had two beloved hobbies: music and sewing. The outlet described the young girl as an example of strength and positivity despite her hardships.
Andreea announced her daughter's passing on February 9 in a touching Instagram post. After translating, her mother said she wanted to remember Elena with the smile depicted in the shared image. "Now you will sing with the angels," she wrote. "Your family will love you forever. One day we will see each other again."
The NUBPL Foundation also made a
Facebook post in honor of Elena. "It is with profound sadness that we share the loss of a beloved member of our NUBPL community," they wrote. "Elena was a beautiful light in this world. Our NUBPL community is holding her family close to our hearts. Her mother Andreea's touching words capture the light Elena brought to this world."Her mother has since made another in light of the tragedy. She announced that the funeral would take place on February 11 at an Evangelical Church. Elena's GoFundMe has since reached its goal of ?100,000 in donations after over 4,800 people donated to the fundraiser.
