# Sam Berns

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{{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](/source/Providence%2C_Rhode_Island), U.S.
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|2014|01|10|1996|10|23}}
| death_place = [Foxborough, Massachusetts](/source/Foxborough%2C_Massachusetts), U.S.
| death_cause = Complications from [progeria](/source/progeria)
| occupation  = Activist
| education   = [Foxborough High School](/source/Foxborough_High_School)
| known_for   = HBO documentary on progeria, spreading progeria awareness
| nationality =
| parents     = {{ubl|[Scott Berns](/source/Scott_Berns)|Leslie Gordon}} 
}}

'''Sampson Gordon''' '''Berns''' (October 23, 1996 – January 10, 2014) was an American activist with [progeria](/source/progeria), an extremely rare and fatal disease that causes the body to age rapidly. Berns helped raise awareness about the disease,<ref name="nytimes20140113">{{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](/source/The_New_York_Times) | accessdate=January 14, 2014 }}</ref><ref name="nationalgeographic">{{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}}</ref> and he was the subject of the HBO documentary ''[Life According to Sam](/source/Life_According_to_Sam)'', which was first screened in January 2013.

==Progeria Research Foundation==
His parents, Scott Berns and Leslie Gordon, both [pediatricians](/source/pediatricians), received their son's diagnosis when he was less than two years old.<ref name="Progeria Research Foundation - Our Story">{{cite web|title=Progeria Research Foundation – Our Story|url=http://www.progeriaresearch.org/our_story.html|work=Progeria Research Foundation|accessdate=15 January 2014}}</ref> Roughly a year later, in an effort to increase awareness of the condition, they established the [Progeria Research Foundation](/source/Progeria_Research_Foundation) to promote research into the underlying causes of and possible treatments for the disease.<ref name="Progeria Research Foundation - Quick Facts">{{cite web|title=Progeria Research Foundation – Quick Facts|url=http://www.progeriaresearch.org/quick_facts.html|work=Progeria Research Foundation|accessdate=15 January 2014}}</ref> Moreover, they offer resources for the support of those with progeria and their families.<ref name="nytimes20140113"/><ref name="medpagetoday">{{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](/source/MedPage_Today)|accessdate=January 14, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{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](/source/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}}</ref>
[[File:Parents-of-sam-berns.png|thumb|right|Scott Berns and Leslie Gordon, the parents of Sam, at the [Peabody Award](/source/Peabody_Award) ceremony]]

==Honors==
===Boston Bruins===
On November 9, 2013, at a home game for the [Boston Bruins](/source/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](/source/Toronto_Maple_Leafs). Berns and [Zdeno Chára](/source/Zdeno_Ch%C3%A1ra), 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."<ref>{{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 = |archive-date = September 24, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924134456/http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2014-01-14/sam-berns-bruins-game-progeria-research-foundation-documentary|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{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 = }}</ref> On January 14, 2014, the Bruins honored Berns with a moment of silence and a video tribute before the start of the game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bruins.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=25099|title=Remembering Sam|work=nhl.com}}</ref>

===New England Patriots===
Berns was to be an honorary captain when the [New England Patriots](/source/New_England_Patriots) hosted the [Indianapolis Colts](/source/Indianapolis_Colts) in a divisional playoff game on January 11, 2014; however, he died on January 10, the evening before the game.<ref>{{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 }}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Patriots Chairman and CEO [Robert Kraft](/source/Robert_Kraft) issued a statement on the news of the passing of Berns.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Kraft said: "I loved Sam Berns and am richer for having known him."<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

===TED Talk, Sam Berns ===
"My Philosophy for a Happy Life" was recorded in 2013 by Berns at the TEDxMidAtlantic,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tedxmidatlantic.com/|title=TEDxMidAtlantic|website=tedxmidatlantic.com|accessdate=June 29, 2017}}</ref> and has been viewed over 54 million times on [YouTube](/source/YouTube) and has the most comments of any TEDTalk at over 51,000 (as of August 2025) and 1.1 million likes.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

===''Life According to Sam''===
''[Life According to Sam](/source/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](/source/HBO) in October. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said it is among 15 documentaries considered for Oscar nominations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lifeaccordingtosam.com/|title=Life According to Sam|publisher=|accessdate=June 29, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2558550/|title=Life According to Sam (2013)|website=[IMDb](/source/IMDb) |publisher=|accessdate=June 29, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

==See also==
*[Hayley Okines](/source/Hayley_Okines)&nbsp;— English girl who had progeria and was the subject of television specials both in Europe and in the United States
*[Lizzie Velásquez](/source/Lizzie_Vel%C3%A1squez)&nbsp;— American motivational speaker with a similar but non-terminal medical condition ([Marfanoid–progeroid–lipodystrophy syndrome](/source/Marfanoid%E2%80%93progeroid%E2%80%93lipodystrophy_syndrome))
*[Sammy Basso](/source/Sammy_Basso)&nbsp;— 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]
*[https://nationalpost.com/news/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]

{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|United States|Biography}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berns, Sam}}
Category:1996 births
Category:2014 deaths
Category:People from Foxborough, Massachusetts
Category:Activists from Providence, Rhode Island
Category:People with progeria
Category:American child activists
Category:Activists from Massachusetts
Category:American disability rights activists
Category:American activists with disabilities

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sam Berns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Berns) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Berns?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.