A British teenager with a rare, deadly disease, also known as the "100 year old" teenager, has died at the "old" age of 17.

Hayley Okines from Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex died April 2 after she spent most of her remaining teen years raising awareness about this extremely rare disease called "progenia". This fatal disease rapidly disintegrated her body to an age comparable to a centenarian.

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Her mother released an announcement of her death on Facebook and wrote her beloved baby has gone to somewhere better. Hayley took her last breath at 9:39 p.m. local time.

The life expectancy of those suffering from progenia is only 13 years. Hayley sought to live a full life to the best of her capacities.

She made many media appearances and even wrote an autobiography. She also traveled the world, including the U.S., for the pioneering drug treatment that extended her life.

Her condition suddenly degenerated after she contracted pneumonia, some four years after she was expected to lose her life.

Progenia isn't a common genetic disease. Also called Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, this extremely rare disorder makes people suffering from it age eight times faster than normal.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for the disease.

Those that suffer from the disease usually die from heart disease in their early teen years. At this age, victims of the disease have bodies similar to adults in their mid 50s or older.

Symptoms of the condition include loss of hair; lack of muscle growth and loss of body fat. This accelerated aging process is apparently caused by a mutant protein called progerin.

According to the Progeria Research Foundation, there are currently not more than 100 cases of children with the disease in 43 countries.

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