Our household subscribed to HBO because there were shows we wanted to watch on this premium cable channel. And these series are wonderful. Different people will like different shows so I won’t bother to list my favorites on HBO.

But we have found the HBO documentaries fascinating. Right now there aren’t any series that we watch but we have kept paying for HBO because of the documentaries.

Last night we watched a great HBO documentary on progeria or accelerated aging in children. It was called “Life According to Sam“. During this we learned quite a bit about progeria. Children with this disorder on average die of heart disease at age thirteen.

The documentary follows Sam, a teen with progeria, and his parents who are both physicians. When Sam was diagnosed there was little information, no funding, and no organization advocating for children with progeria and their families. So Sam’s family founded The Progeria Research Foundation.

Visit the website of The Progeria Research Foundation to learn more about this disease. You can just visit to learn about the disease and advances in science and treatment. You may also support the foundation in various ways if so inclined.

Two more things: On the website you can also find a link to more information on the documentary, including being able to play the trailer on your computer. And what we are learning about progeria seems to have implications for understanding the normal aging process.