Ralph Lamont Sledge

BLESSD

He stared at himself in the bathroom mirror as a part of his daily morning routine. Today, a bit more unfamiliar with what he was looking at than yesterday. Today he turns 25. The man in the mirror, hair beginning to gray, face beginning to sag, and a smile that inverts slightly every time he takes a peek at it. That man in the mirror turns 50 today. They both have what is known as Progeria; a rare genetic condition that results in a child’s body aging rapidly. Most children with Progeria don’t make it past the age of 13, but fortunately enough for him, doctors have made a breakthrough that has slowed down the aging process significantly.