Sam Berns
{{Short description|American activist (1996–2014)}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Sam Berns at TEDx Talks 2013.png
| caption = Sam Berns at an October 2013 Washington, D.C., venue via TEDx MidAtlantic
| name = Sam Berns
| birth_name = Sampson Gordon Berns
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1996|10|23}}
| birth_place = Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|01|10|1996|10|23}}
| death_place = Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S.
| death_cause = Complications from progeria
| occupation = Activist
| education = Foxborough High School
| known for = HBO documentary on progeria, spreading progeria awareness
| nationality =
| parents ={{ubl|Scott Berns|Leslie Gordon}}
}}
Sampson Gordon Berns (October 23, 1996 – January 10, 2014) was an American activist with progeria, an extremely rare and fatal disease that causes the body to age rapidly. Berns helped raise awareness about the disease,{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/14/us/sam-berns-17-public-face-of-a-rare-illness-is-dead.html | title=Sam Berns, 17, Public Face of a Rare Illness, Is Dead | first=Margalit | last=Fox | date=January 13, 2014 | newspaper=The New York Times | accessdate=January 14, 2014 }}{{cite web|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140114-progeria-disease-berns-children-premature-aging-research-gene-mutation/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115201102/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140114-progeria-disease-berns-children-premature-aging-research-gene-mutation/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 15, 2014|title=The Short, Remarkable Life of Sam Berns Turned Spotlight on Progeria|publisher=news.nationalgeographic.com|accessdate=January 14, 2014}} and he was the subject of the HBO documentary Life According to Sam, which was first screened in January 2013.
Progeria Research Foundation
His parents, Scott Berns and Leslie Gordon, both pediatricians, received their son's diagnosis when he was less than two years old.{{cite web|title=Progeria Research Foundation – Our Story|url=http://www.progeriaresearch.org/our_story.html|work=Progeria Research Foundation|accessdate=15 January 2014}} Roughly a year later, in an effort to increase awareness of the condition, they established the Progeria Research Foundation to promote research into the underlying causes of and possible treatments for the disease.{{cite web|title=Progeria Research Foundation – Quick Facts|url=http://www.progeriaresearch.org/quick_facts.html|work=Progeria Research Foundation|accessdate=15 January 2014}} Moreover, they offer resources for the support of those with progeria and their families.{{cite web|url=http://www.medpagetoday.com/CelebrityDiagnosis/42315|title=Life According To Sam Berns|date=October 16, 2013|first= Michele R.|last=Berman|publisher=MedPage Today|accessdate=January 14, 2014}}{{cite magazine|url=http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/revisiting-sam-berns/|title=Revisiting Sam Berns|first=Vera|last=Titunik|date=October 2, 2012|magazine=The New York Times Magazine|access-date=January 14, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229230613/http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/revisiting-sam-berns/|archive-date=December 29, 2014|df=mdy-all}}
File:Parents-of-sam-berns.png ceremony]]
Honors
=Boston Bruins=
On November 9, 2013, at a home game for the Boston Bruins, Berns helped host Progeria Awareness Night, sat with the team as an assistant equipment manager, and dropped the ceremonial first puck for that night's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Berns and Zdeno Chára, the Bruins captain, had been strong friends since 2006, when Berns attended a Bruins game and met Chára afterwards. Chára had scored in that game and Berns blurted out "You're the hero!" Chára responded: "No, no, you're my hero, our hero."{{cite web|url = http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2014-01-14/sam-berns-bruins-game-progeria-research-foundation-documentary|title = Sam Berns, public face of progeria, to be honored by Bruins|date = 14 Jan 2014|accessdate = 25 Nov 2014|website = Sporting News|publisher = |last = |first = }}{{cite web|url = http://bruins.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=25099|title = Remembering Sam- Boston Bruins|date = 14 Jan 2014|accessdate = 25 Nov 2014|website = |publisher = |last = |first = }} On January 14, 2014, the Bruins honored Berns with a moment of silence and a video tribute before the start of the game.{{cite web|url=http://bruins.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=25099|title=Remembering Sam|work=nhl.com}}
=New England Patriots=
Berns was to be an honorary captain when the New England Patriots hosted the Indianapolis Colts in a divisional playoff game on January 11, 2014; however, he died on January 10, the evening before the game.{{cite web|url=http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/patriots_nfl/new_england_patriots/2014/01/robert_kraft_i_fell_in_love_with_sam_berns|title=Robert Kraft: I fell in love with Sam Berns|author=Steve Buckley|work=bostonherald.com|date=January 12, 2014 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?n=sam-g-berns&pid=169076443|title=Sam G. Berns's Obituary on New York Times|website=New York Times|accessdate=June 29, 2017}} Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft issued a statement on the news of the passing of Berns.{{cite web|url=http://www.patriots.com/news/article-1/Statement-from-Robert-Kraft-on-the-passing-of-Sam-Berns/142129c6-b064-4d38-95d0-8f3a1611a511|title=Statement from Robert Kraft on the passing of Sam Berns|work=New England Patriots|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112051244/https://www.patriots.com/news/article-1/Statement-from-Robert-Kraft-on-the-passing-of-Sam-Berns/142129c6-b064-4d38-95d0-8f3a1611a511|archive-date=January 12, 2014}} Kraft said: "I loved Sam Berns and am richer for having known him."{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2014/01/11/patriots-bruins-pay-tribute-to-foxboro-teen-who-died-of-rare-disease/|title=Patriots, Bruins pay tribute to Foxboro teen who died of rare disease|first=Ben |last=Sumner |newspaper=Washington Post}}{{Cite web|url=https://patch.com/massachusetts/foxborough/kraft-on-berns-we-are-richer-for-knowing-him|title=Kraft on Berns: I am Richer for Having Known Him|date=January 11, 2014|website=Foxborough, MA Patch}}
=TED Talk, Sam Berns =
"My Philosophy for a Happy Life" was recorded in 2013 by Berns at the TEDxMidAtlantic,{{cite web|url=http://tedxmidatlantic.com/|title=TEDxMidAtlantic|website=tedxmidatlantic.com|accessdate=June 29, 2017}} and has been viewed over 53 million times on YouTube and has the most comments of any TEDTalk at over 51,000 (as of September 2024) and 1.1 million likes.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36m1o-tM05g|title=My philosophy for a happy life – Sam Berns – TEDxMidAtlantic|last=TEDx Talks|date=December 13, 2013|publisher=|accessdate=June 29, 2017|via=YouTube}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/14/us/sam-berns-17-public-face-of-a-rare-illness-is-dead.html|title=Sam Berns, 17, Public Face of a Rare Illness, Is Dead|first=Margalit|last=Fox|newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 13, 2014|publisher=|accessdate=June 29, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/13/the-short-exuberant-life-of-sam-berns/|title=The Short, Exuberant Life of Sam Berns|first=Robin Marantz|last=Henig|website=The 6th Floor Blog|date=January 13, 2014 |accessdate=June 29, 2017}}
=''Life According to Sam''=
Life According to Sam is a 2013 documentary film based on the life of Berns and has been shown at film festivals, including Sundance, and it was broadcast on HBO in October. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said it is among 15 documentaries considered for Oscar nominations.{{cite web|url=http://lifeaccordingtosam.com/|title=Life According to Sam|publisher=|accessdate=June 29, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2558550/|title=Life According to Sam (2013)|website=IMDb |publisher=|accessdate=June 29, 2017}}{{cite news|author=Robin Marantz Henig |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/30/magazine/racing-with-sam.html |title=Racing With Sam |newspaper=The New York Times |date=2005-01-30 |accessdate=2017-06-30}}
See also
- Hayley Okines — English girl who had progeria and was the subject of television specials both in Europe and in the United States
- Lizzie Velásquez — American motivational speaker with a similar but non-terminal medical condition (Marfanoid–progeroid–lipodystrophy syndrome)
- Sammy Basso — Italian biologist who had progeria and is one of the oldest known survivors of the disease
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.progeriaresearch.org/ Progeria Research Foundation]
- [http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/life-according-to-sam HBO: Documentaries | Life According to Sam | Home]
- [http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/11/us/progeria-sam-berns-dies/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 CNN – "Beloved teen Sam Berns dies at 17 after suffering from rare disease"]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36m1o-tM05g My Philosophy for a Happy Life: Sam Berns gives a lecture at TEDxMidAtlantic 2013]
- [http://news.nationalpost.com/14/01/13/sam-berns-remarkable-teen-who-battled-rare-rapid-aging-disease-dies-aged-17/ Sam Berns, 'remarkable' teen who battled rare rapid aging disease, progeria, dies at age 17]
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Category:People from Foxborough, Massachusetts
Category:Activists from Providence, Rhode Island
Category:American child activists
Category:Activists from Massachusetts