Zara Hartshorn: 13-Year-Old With Lipodystrophy Looks Middle-Aged (VIDEO)

Zara Hartshorn: 13-Year-Old With Rare Disease Looks Middle-Aged

At the age of 13, Zara Hartshorn already looks 50.

Hartshorn, who is from Rotherham, England, suffers from a rare genetic disease known as lipodystrophy. The disease causes layers of fatty tissue under the surface of the skin to disappear. Only around 2,000 people in the world are said to have the condition, and there is currently no known cure.

The effects of the disease have caused Hartshorn a great deal of hardship and discomfort.

"People call me 'granny' and 'monkey,' " she told the New York Post. "Sometimes I'll just go into the toilet and cry."

WATCH a report on Hartshorn from the "Today" show.

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