14-Year Old Indian Boy Trapped In An Old Body Due To Rare Disease

So sad. Like most 14-year-olds, Nihal Bitla loves playing computer games - and those who know him say he has bright eyes, a caring nature, and a child-like innocence.

But his body is that of an elderly man, with wrinkled leathery skin, a bald enlarged head and withered limbs. He weighs 12.5kg - just under two stone - and is under 4 foot (1.2 m) in height.

Nihal, who lives on the outskirts of Mumbai, India, suffers from a rare genetic disorder called Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), which causes him to age eight times faster than normal. Doctors have said very few in his condition lives beyond the age of 20. More photos…