The 15-year-old inspired an entire world by talking openly about her life with Early-Aging Disorder and became an internet sensation and superstar through social media. Now, her family delivers the sad news that the girl has passed away at age 15. “She came into it quietly and left quietly, but her life was far from it,” her family said in a statement posted on Instagram.
The girl from Texas, Adalia Rose Williams, became an internet sensation and superstar through social media. The Austin, Texas native was born with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, a genetic condition characterized by signs of accelerated aging. According to reports, about 400 children across the globe have the syndrome.
Even though Adalia Rose, who was called the “real-life Benjamin Button,” had a very rare condition, she decided that it wouldn’t negatively affect her life. Instead, she used it to show the world that you always should be accepted for who you are.
Adalia started a Youtube channel, on which she did tutorials of makeup, dancing videos, and many other things. She had more than 200 million views on her videos, more than 12 million followers on Facebook, and around 470,000 followers on Instagram.
Now, the family shares the sad news that Adalia has passed away, age 15.
“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,” Adalia Rose William’s family wrote in a statement on her Instagram page.
“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.”
Adalia Rose William was born on December 10, 2006 in Round Rock, Texas. Her mother, Natalia Pallante, recalled that doctors started noticing something wasn’t quite right about a month after she was born since she wasn’t growing as expected.
“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,” she said.
“She was diagnosed at maybe like three months old. That’s when the real changes started happening. She started losing her hair, her little veins started showing up more, and her skin thinning out a lot more. I was a single mum at the time, so when I got the diagnosis, I was alone. It was just her and I, and I honestly felt lost.”
Once it was clear Adalia had Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, the statistics didn’t give the family peace. The average life expectancy for a child with the syndrome is 13 years old.
Progeria is caused by a mutation n the gene named LMNA, which produces Lamin A protein that holds the nucleus of a cell together. The condition has no known cure and causes children to age much faster than usual, with symptoms including hair loss and slow growth, according to Mayo Clinic.
Adalia had many health issues, but she decided not to care about them. Instead, she would live her life just as she wanted – and by doing that, she became an inspiration for people worldwide.
“I guess I am a diva because I always get what I want!” Adalia said in 2018.
Having a social media superstar 11-year-old, it’s crazy, especially when we are out in public — you know a lot of people recognize her,” her father, Ryan, added.
In 2012, Adalia started her Youtube channel. She began posting videos of herself, where she documented her life and gave people insight into her life with the condition.
A GoFundMe Page has been set up in memorial for Adalia Rose. Its goal is to raise $50,000 to cover funeral costs and medical expenses. As of publishing, the fundraiser is only $14,000 short of the goal.
“Adalia has changed my life completely. It’s not like I was hateful, but I wasn’t nice to myself,” her mother Nathalie said. “I wasn’t thankful. I didn’t realize what life was until she was born. Her followers say good things to her all the time. They have constant comments about how she’s inspirational and how she doesn’t let anything stop her, and they’re right. She loves those comments.”