Hayley Okines amazing real-life story appears in the SUNDAY PEOPLE newspaper today.
Hayley Okines. 13, is the girl who suffers from progeria – a one in eight million condition that ages her body so fast she now has the body of someone aged 104.
Four years ago Hayley’s mum Kerry emailed me through my sell your story website to ask if I would help the family deal with the constant requests for publicity.
Since then I have placed Hayley’s story in the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, and today in the Sunday People.
When I first spoke with the family, her parents were told she would most likely die before she reached the age of 13. But three years ago Hayley received pioneering treatment in America. No-one knew if it would work and in fact the treatment was so unknown, her parents had to accept it alone might kill their daughter.
But incredibly, since receiving the treatment, Hayley has gone from strength to strength and has grown and put on weight. Other tests, such as those on her heart, have confirmed her condition has improved. Hayley recently celebrated her 13th birthday in December – a birthday her family feared when she was born she might never see.
As Kerry says, they are now in unchartered waters and with this milestone over, can at last look forward to the New Year and a longer-term future.
Meanwhile, Hayley is enjoying secondary school and despite her petite stature (she wears clothes for the size of an average five year old) has plenty of friends.
I will be continuing to follow Hayley’s progress in the future – but to find out more about Hayley do click on Hayley’s website here.
Do you have a story to sell? Perhaps you are fending off approaches from reporters for your story? To read more about employing a publicist click here: What a publicist could do for you. If you would like the advice of an experienced media agent and writer contact me here.
