An 18-year-old high-school student Xiao Cui looks like an 80-year-old grandfather. Looking at him for the first time, you could swear he is at least 80 years old, but in fact, he is only an 18-year-old.
The student GHPAGE.com gathers is suffering from a very rare health condition that has caused his facial muscles and skin to droop, making him look a lifetime older than he really is.
The 18-year-old Xiao Cui is a senior at a top high-school in Harbin, China, which you couldn’t tell just by looking at him.
For someone who looks more like a pensioner than a young man in the prime of his life, it’s obvious he is suffering from a mysterious condition that has been causing his facial muscles and skin to sag.
Cui said in a Pear video that went viral in China that he noticed the first symptoms during middle school, and that his face has been getting saggier ever since. It has continued to the point where he now looks many decades older than his classmates.
The most difficult part is, doctors are yet to understand his condition, let alone find a way to stop it or undo its effects — so Xiao has no option but to accept it and stay positive.
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Fortunately for Xiao Cui, the mysterious condition has only completely altered his appearance, but it doesn’t seem to have had any negative effect on his health. Thanks to the support of his family and friends, he has been able to accept that there is more to life than a youthful look.
He is reported to be one of the best students at his high-school and is even called “Superman” by some of his colleagues, for his ability to excel in various fields.
His teachers also speak highly of him and are convinced that despite the hardships he has had to endure, he will go on to study at a top Chinese university and have success in whatever goals he sets for himself.
The young man says that sometimes people make fun of his looks, and admits that this sometimes gets to him, but he knows the only way to overcome his situation is to stay positive.
“I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t bothered by my appearance, but I have always been a positive person, it is my greatest strength,” Xiao Cui said.
Xiao aspires to study at Beijing University or Tsinghua University, two of the most prestigious learning institutions in China.
