Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome is an extremely rare genetic disease that accelerates the aging process to about seven times the normal rate. Because of this accelerated aging, a child of ten years will have similar respiratory, cardiovascular, and arthritic conditions that a 70-year-old would have. Currently, there is no cure for this disease, and because of its rare nature, no definitive cause can be pinpointed.
Progeria affects between 1 in 4 million (estimated actual) and 1 in 8 million (reported) children, with a total reported incidence of just over 100 in the century since it's been identified. There are currently between 30 and 40 known cases worldwide of Progeria. Children from all races and cultures from around the world have been affected. Some physical features of Progeria children include dwarfism, wrinkled/aged-looking skin, baldness, and a pinched nose. Mental growth is equivalent to other children of the same age. Most children with Progeria live no longer than their early teenage years, though one or two have lived to be as old as 20 or 21.
Progeria was first described by Dr. Jonathan Hutchinson in 1886 and Dr. Hastings Gilford in 1904. There is still no cure and due to the extreme rarity of the disease, it's exact cause is not known (though it has been determined to be genetic rather than environmental).