Little girl died after aging 8x faster than a normal child. Her parents made an unusual coffin

A little girl named Lucy Parke died recently after battling Progeria. Throughout her life, she battled illnesses that older people would get like contractions in her knees and ankles.

Before she was even 1 year old, she had to undergo hip surgery. She was only 8 years old when she died on January 1, 2018, according to Uplifting Today.

Lucy Parke looked much older than 8 when she passed away. She was born on November 10, 2009, and was 9 months old when her parents, Stephanie and David Parke, were told that she had Hutchinson Gilford Progeria Syndrome.

This is a rare condition that made her age 8 times faster than other children. Commonly known as Progeria, this disease causes rapid aging in children, with symptoms including slow growth and hair loss which typically begins before the child is a year old.

'Our special girl could fight no more, Her body was weak but her heart was strong, Her love for life and wonderful smile, Made us proud to be her parents. We have lost our precious Lucy, The past year was hard and our hearts are broken, And tears are flowing.'

Stephanie and David Parke, Uplifting Today, March 2018

The average life expectancy of a child with the syndrome is just 13 years and there currently is no cure. The disease first began to show itself in the little girl when she was just 4-months-old.

That’s when she began experiencing contractions of her knees and ankles and had to undergo a hip operation. The little girl later faced heart problems, arthritis, and severe hardening of her arteries.

When she passed away on New Year’s Day, she was surrounded by her family and friends in Ballyward, Co Down, Ireland. To honor their daughter, her parents put a rainbow on her small pink casket.

The rainbow reminded them of their daughter because despite all the suffering she went through in life, she always kept a positive attitude and a smile on her face.

'Just photos, videos, and memories left. But your life was not in vain, We know you are in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ,' her parents wrote of their daughter.

They shared that they were thankful for everything she taught them like the hugs, laughs, and smiles she gave them. The last eight years were amazing.

The Parke’s thanked Lucy and God and shared that they would miss her every single day.