The Courage of Hana Hwang
Hana Hwang, 13, was diagnosed with Progeria -- a genetic mutation that speeds up the aging process -- as an infant. Though born normal, her biological clock is now operating at 8-10 times normal speed. She stopped growing before her 3rd birthday, and now struggles with age related diseases such as osteoporosis and hardening of the arteries.
In December, as Hana battled pneumonia at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Ryan Seacrest heard about her plight and arranged for Selena Gomez to visit her. A thank you video from Hana to Selena went viral in early February, followed by a flood of false rumors that Hana had died.
Hana's YouYube video went viral as we were shooting her story. We covered her plight as she found herself thrust from near-isolation into the the spotlight.
Video: http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/health/the-courage-of-hana-hwang-2012-02-28
(3/5/2012 the video has been re-posted, slightly shorter, to make streaming a little easer-- below is the embed link)
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