I FELT LIKE A PRINCESS

Progeria sufferer Beandri Booysen was the belle of the ball when she turned sweet 16

-  JACQUES MYBURGH

YOUNG people stream into the venue, clad in smart dresses and suits. Fairy lights are strung from the ceiling and music is pumping from the speakers.

The teens make their way to the girl at the centre of the venue. Her turquoise dress shimmers as she twirls around the dancefloor with her friends, her Rapunzel-like locks cascading down her back.

It’s only when you get closer that you can see the signs of age on her body and face. Her skin is as thin as parchment, and she weighs just 12kg.

Beandri Booysen has Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, a genetic mutation that accelerates the ageing process four to eight times.

It’s rare – only 125 people in the world have been diagnosed with it – and most people with the condition have a life expectancy of just 14.

So when she turned 16 on 20 November there was plenty of reason to celebrate.

“It’s a huge milestone,” says Beandri’s mom, Bea. “A 16th birthday is a special occasion in any girl’s life and we’re so grateful that we could throw her such a beautiful party.”

The bash at the Thulani Wedding and Leisure Resort in Wonderboom, Pretoria, was a formal affair and guests were attired in smart evening wear.

But it was the birthday girl who stole the show in her sequinned gown custom made by designer Anel Botha.

Beandri’s story has been well documented in the media over the years and people who’ve followed her inspiring journey chipped in to give her the sweetest 16th birthday party.

“We received so many sponsorships for her party that we didn’t spend anything,” says Bea, a property manager. Her husband, Pieter, works at a car dealership.