Sign in with Facebook
Old Before My Time: Hayley Okines' Life with Progeria
Hayley Okines is like no other 13-year-old schoolgirl.
In Old Before My Time, Hayley and her mum Kerry reflect on her unusual life. Share Hayley’s excitement as she travels the world meeting her pop heroes Kylie, Girls Aloud and Justin Bieber and her sadness as she loses her best friend to the disease at the age of 11.
Now as she passes the age of 13 – the average life exp...more
In Old Before My Time, Hayley and her mum Kerry reflect on her unusual life. Share Hayley’s excitement as she travels the world meeting her pop heroes Kylie, Girls Aloud and Justin Bieber and her sadness as she loses her best friend to the disease at the age of 11.
Now as she passes the age of 13 – the average life exp...more
Kindle Edition
Published
(first published October 26th 2011)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
796)
Thank you so much for sharing your story with the rest of the world.
This book brought many emotions to me, sometimes made me laugh, sometimes my eyes got wet but in general it was a cute and nice experience.
Hayley, you are not only special because you got progeria, other children have the disease too but you have made the difference in the life of many people who have watched specials about you and by other people that have the bless of reading your book. You have touched our hearts.
I follow you...more
This book brought many emotions to me, sometimes made me laugh, sometimes my eyes got wet but in general it was a cute and nice experience.
Hayley, you are not only special because you got progeria, other children have the disease too but you have made the difference in the life of many people who have watched specials about you and by other people that have the bless of reading your book. You have touched our hearts.
I follow you...more
This was an extraordinary story about a brave little girl and her family. She has Hutchinson- Gilford Prgeria disease. This makes her older than her grandparents. Her body is the body of an elderly female (100) even though she is only 13. Her parents knew something was wrong and after many tests they discovered she was one in eight millon to get this rare condition. She has come to America many times over the years to meet others with the same condition. She has been through many new experimenta...more
If you have ever been curious about Progeria which is the disease that ages people at a rate of 8x faster than normal, this is the book for you. Hayley was diagnosed at a young age but even then, the doctors only knew of one other child in the UK and 40 children in the US who had the same disease. After much exchanging of informaton between the doctors and the parents, more information was gathered and more research and understanding was shared. Currently Hayley has just celebrated her 15th birt...more
I found this to be a gripping read, I didn't want to put it down. This is a very touching and inspirational story. Hayley's parents decided that if their daughter's life was not going to be very long, it would at least be filled with happiness and as many wonderful experiences as possible. Hayley herself sounds like a very determined and positive person. Hayley is now over 13 years old, past the usual life expectancy for a child with progeria but with exciting new drug trials taking place in ame...more
What an incredible book. I was vaguely aware of Hayley and the other children before reading, but not in any detail, and to see the uplifting, overwhelmingly positive attitude that Hayley has... it must be so encouraging for other families, as well as making her a blessing to those around her. She's been able to live a relatively normal life, with school, friends and sleepovers, always wanting to be as normal as possible and not getting special treatment.
Chapters alternate between Hayley's viewp...more
Chapters alternate between Hayley's viewp...more
Very interesting first-person story of little Hayley Okines, who was born with Progeria - a very rare condition that shortens lifespan and makes the little children look like very old people; some chapters written by her mother, others written by Hayley herself, we follow her story from birth through diagnosis and search for treatments, her parents' struggles to find help, her 'celebrity' as magazines and TV shows run stories about her and the illness; although a tragic disease, both Hayley and...more
I saw Haleys story on a documentary on TV recently, and when I saw her book was available, I thought it would be a good little read. She is very sweet, and the book is half written by her, and half by her mum about her life living with progeria.
You have to admire the girl, who even though small and with many health issues still attended normal primary and high school when she could. Because of her television programmes, so many people throughout the world have learned about this devastating illn...more
You have to admire the girl, who even though small and with many health issues still attended normal primary and high school when she could. Because of her television programmes, so many people throughout the world have learned about this devastating illn...more
i'm going to start book reviews again. i stopped cause i was so busy. but i do need to write reviews again...even if it's not for every book.
i loved this book. i had seen documentaries on Hayley before, but reading her story was a wonderful thing too. i love memoirs and i speed through this one. Hayley had Progeria where she ages 8 times faster making her really 100 at only the age of 13. She is strong with all the tests she goes through, she doesn't let anything get in her way. even if you're...more
i loved this book. i had seen documentaries on Hayley before, but reading her story was a wonderful thing too. i love memoirs and i speed through this one. Hayley had Progeria where she ages 8 times faster making her really 100 at only the age of 13. She is strong with all the tests she goes through, she doesn't let anything get in her way. even if you're...more
touching true story of a brave little girl named hayley. told by Hayley and her mom. not the best written book but doesn't need to be. their story of living life to the fullest and fighting for Hayley's life with progeria reads more like a blog. I cant imagine the fear and worries her mom lives with on a daily basis but they are fighting through it and loving life and the opportunities that come their way. she is now 15! here is to many more for this little fighter!
Loved seeing this from both Hayley's and Kerry's Points of View. I've been following Hayley's story on the on channel 5. Hayley really is an inspiration to us all. I hope that soon there will be a cure for Progria, along with everything else. Only Hayley could get away with asking Price Charles for his autograph. I told my mum this morning, and smiled. The only reaction I've found when someone mentions Hayley's name. Truly amazing.
Very well written, humbling book. Hayley is a wonderfully positive thinking teenager with a deadly disease. But she refuses to concentrate on that fact that she is dying, and instead LIVES every minute with dreams of the future, humor and love! One of the saddest stories I ever read, and yet it leaves me smiling through my tears... And hoping... That's what Hayley teaches me... Hope is the Begin of every change to the better!
2 likes · like · see review
view 1 comment
A very interesting book. I've seen Hayley on TV before, so it was interesting to read the book. I learned a lot about Progeria and what is being done to try and treat it. I only gave it 4 stars, though, because I found it a little redundant that she wrote a chapter on basically the same thing her Mom did and so it was like reading the same thing over again...just worded slightly differently.
This was a fascinating and educational book. I recommend it. My only real criticism would be that the chapters supposedly written by 13-year-old Hayley ring false. I wouldn't mind if they were ghost written, which they seem to be, but they read as if an adult pretending to be a naive child had written them. Essentially, they sound like what an adult would think a child would write.
Dec 22, 2012
Elizabeth
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
on-my-kindle-app-for-ipad
Hayley Okines suffers from Progeria. This book tells the story of her life from both her perspective and her mother's. The book was a bit confusing because Hayley's story is not told in a chronological order. I found myself flipping between the story and the photos found in the front of the ebook. I enjoyed the book and plan to follow Hayley on Facebook for updates.
May 10, 2013
Laura
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
heartwarming
Despite this book being about a girl with a serious condition, it was actually quite uplifting. People familiar with Hayley's documentaries already know that this girl lights up every room she steps in. And she managed to do that through the page as well.
The book was written by both Hayley and her mom Kerry. This gives two perspectives to every event or situation, but it also makes it a bit of a repetitive read sometimes. As neither of them are professional writers I will not hold that, nor the...more
The book was written by both Hayley and her mom Kerry. This gives two perspectives to every event or situation, but it also makes it a bit of a repetitive read sometimes. As neither of them are professional writers I will not hold that, nor the...more
This book is a biography of a young girl who has progeria, a rare disorder that causes rapid aging. It is told alternately from Haley's and her mother's viewpoints.
It was interesting to have a glimpse inside the life of someone who lives with a great challenge. It is heartening to know that some of the treatments are helping to improve her life.
It was interesting to have a glimpse inside the life of someone who lives with a great challenge. It is heartening to know that some of the treatments are helping to improve her life.
I do not normally read books like this, but it caught my attention while I was searching Good Reads for books to read. I got it and finished it in about 3 days. It is such an inspiring story. It is told from both the mother and Hayley's point of view. You cheer for Hayley through out the entire book. You will laugh and you will cry as you read!
I've seen show's on tv about girls with Progeria might have been Hayley they are such brave little girls. I would love to read more about her story. I think she is the bravest person That I could ever meet. Hayley your a great Girl. & I hope to read more about you & learn more about Progeria. And I just love the cover of your book, very pretty.
A quick read... A great book that is really written by mom with a few chapters mixed in that were by Hayley herself. I am glad to say that my impression of these folks is that they are normal, average people dealing with a very not normal, not average disease. Hayley's chapters show that she is a regulator 13 year old kid, despite her circumstances. Good job, mom!
I have had an interest in Progeria, ever since seeing a documentary on TV, quite a few years ago.One of the children interviewed was Hayley Okines, so it was a given that I would read this! Hayley has touched my heart forever...thank you to the publisher for allowing this family to share this unique experience.
I have seen several shows about this amazing young girl. Hayley is living a life that no one would really want to live. Her real age does not match her body age, in fact her body age is 8 times more then her real age. However, Hayley makes the best out of her life, she helps raise money to find a cure and lives each day to the fullest. To me she is an amazing women who is really doing something with her life. This is a great book that I would tell anyone about.
This was a touching story of Hayley's experiences with Progeria as well as her mother's struggles with the disease. It was a quick, easy read. I wouldn't say that it was fantastic, but it was very interesting and informative. I enjoyed Hayley and Kerry's honesty and courage to share this difficult journey.
This was a good look at what life is like for this family, dealing with this rare terminal disease. It was a quick, easy read. It's written by the mom and daughter in the first person, and it reads the way they talk rather than typical writing. It was interesting because it is about real people.
Quick read; read it in one day. Very interesting. The writing wasn't the greatest; I noticed several typos and some sentences were just very odd. I also had trouble understanding some of the British terms used. MOT? But I enjoyed reading Hayley's story and am glad she is doing well.
A very good read. I recommend this book to everyone as it explains so much and will enlighten your mind and thoughts towarss more then this condition. You might shed a tear or two throughout but its worth it. I received this book free through Goodreads, and thanks for it.
I was lucky enough to receive this book through the First Reads program here at Goodreads. Like many people I didn't know much about Progeria. I had heard of it, of course, but I didn't know any details. Old Before My Time: Hayley Okines' Life with Progeria delves into subject matter that has rarely been touched, offering readers two views of what it's like to have your life touched by the rare disease: Hayley's mother Kerry, and Hayley herself. What touched me the most was Hayley's determinatio...more
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I have followed Hayley and her story for several years now, and I guess I was hoping to learn more about the trials that she is on. It was interesting to hear both Hayley's point of view as well as her mother's. Her mother, however...I just don't know. I didn't get a good vibe about her. She is always complaining about the cards she's dealt, how she and her husband frequently fight, the lack of money that they have, yet they go on theses exotic...more
Very interesting story of a 13-year old in a hundred-year-old body, a one in eight million birth condition. It is told by both Hayley and her mother in alternating chapters about the same events. Heart-touching
Dec 28, 2012
Elizabeth Davis
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
autobiography-biography-memoir,
non-fiction
Inspiring story. I wish the book would have been more in Hayley's words, yet that is understandable considering how young she is and how much she doesn't remember from early treatments and such.
The story of Hayley's life is told from two perspectives, thqat of her mom and in her own words, I really enjoyed the up beat spirit and also learning about the disease of progeria that Hayley lives with daily.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
